Beta by Wendwriter.
There was a stunned silence, as the other occupants of the study exchanged glances of utter horror. Elladan gently guided Faelwen to a chair. Shaking, she sat down, tears coursing down her pallid face. Simultaneously, Elrohir and Estel both got to their feet and walked towards the door. Instantly, Glorfindel sprang up and had seized them both by the collar."Wait just a moment, Thunder and Lightning!" he said sternly, dragging them backwards. "Both of you stay right here!"
"Glorfindel, you cannot possibly think for a minute that we're going to let those bastards get away with what they did to her!" cried Elrohir angrily, getting ready to make for the door again. Glorfindel, however, had fought a balrog and was more than capable of restraining one young elf. Elrohir did not have a chance of escaping.
"Glorfindel, look at her!" said Estel in a whisper, turning a stricken face towards Faelwen. The young human had never seen his sister look so vulnerable in his life. Her usually smiling face was white with terror and stained with tears. "You cannot want to let them get away with what they've done...what they are still doing to her!"
"You know I don't!" Glorfindel told them gently. "But I am not prepared to expose Faelwen's identity to them. It is her decision, and her decision only, if that should happen."
"No – you are right," sighed Elrohir, sitting down glumly. "But I still do not like it!"
"So…what are we going to do?" asked Elladan, more calmly, looking over at Elrond, whose brows were creased with worry.
"That is for Faelwen to decide," Elrond replied, crossing the room to sit down beside his daughter. "I know that the idea must frighten you, iel-nin, but I think that you should reveal to them who you really are. They cannot lay a finger on you here, even if they were mad enough to try it. And I think it is about time that they discovered that their ghastly behaviour is not a secret any more."
"I cannot do that! Not yet!" Faelwen stammered wildly. "Not until I know…"
"Know what, Fae?" Estel felt sick with worry – he could not remember ever having seen his sister cry before; usually she was the one that everyone ran to when they were upset.
"Feredir!" Faelwen cried. "Did they transfer their hate to him when they got rid of me? Is it their fault that he is injured so badly? Or have they taught him to be one of them? Would he hate me too if I told him who I was? I could not bear that! I cannot say anything until I know who he has become! If he will hate me, then it is better that he does not know I am alive!"
"All right, you take things at your own pace, iel-nin," Elrond nodded understandingly, hoping beyond hope that Faelwen would find the courage to face her brothers so that she could at last close the door on that tragic area of her past. "Remember though, it might seem terrifying just to think of it, but that does not mean it is impossible. You were convinced that you could never face a human male again, but you managed to conquer that fear when Estel arrived."
"But what if they have recognised me?" Faelwen's voice was so laden with sheer terror that it almost hurt to hear it.
"If they have, and they so much as come within ten steps of you, it will be the last thing they do," said Haldir grimly at her other side – speaking for the first time, as he linked his fingers through Faelwen's. "I promise, I will not leave your side until they leave here!"
"You will when she goes to bed, my friend!" said Elladan mock-threateningly, in an attempt to lighten the mood, but it failed to raise a smile. "Faelwen, please calm down. We will not let them hurt you, I swear!"
Suddenly, the gong sounded for dinner.
"May I be excused the evening meal?" Faelwen begged at once.
"No, Faelwen." said Elrond firmly. "You missed lunch when you were treating your brother – you have not eaten since this morning. You do need to eat, especially in this state of agitation. I do not want you fainting. There is nothing to worry about, I promise."
"Do not worry," whispered Haldir, slipping an arm around her waist as they walked towards the hall behind all the others. "I will look after you. You are not the helpless elfling they were able to bully before, my heart – they have no way of getting at you now. Not while we are all here to protect you."
"I know. It is childish to be so afraid, but…I cannot help it!" Faelwen choked, running her hands frantically through her hair. "I never thought I would ever have to set eyes on them again!"
"Shh. I know," Haldir kissed the last of the tears from her face and gave her an encouraging hug. "But once this is over, your past will never darken your life again! Think of it that way."
"I'll try. Thank you." Faelwen whispered, leaning her forehead against his.
For the most part, the meal went smoothly. Calanon's sons gave no sign of recognising Faelwen as the sister they had sold to a slaver. Nor did they eat at the same table as Elrond and his family, which made the time pass slightly more bearably for poor Faelwen. Even then, her hands shook so badly that she could barely hold her cutlery. All the while, Estel and the twins shot surreptitious glares at the five silver-haired brothers who sat at the table further down the hall.
"It looks as if the young one is of Mirkwood heritage after all," Glorfindel said to Elrond in an undertone. "Those are Mirkwood greens that her brothers are dressed in."
"Mm," Elrond nodded. "But the family must reside apart from the palace and the main body of elves, or else Thranduil would have known that she had gone missing in the first place."
"Well, we always knew she was a woodelf," said Erestor quietly. "But this explains her talents with a bow. Do you really think revealing her true identity to her brothers is the right thing to do, Elrond?"
"I think it is," said Elrond, suppressing a smile as he watched the twins purposely adjust their posture in order to hide Faelwen from the view of the opposite table. "If she does not do this now, she will always be haunted by the fear that they will discover her one day; while if she does manage to find the courage, then that will be an end to the matter – for there is no possible way for them to hurt her here in Imladris. It is more than their lives are worth!"
Shooting a dark glare towards the eldest of the fair-haired brothers, Glorfindel nodded grimly.
"I will check on Feredir now, if that is all right, Ada?" Faelwen asked Elrond, once the meal was over and everyone was drifting from the hall. Elrond looked at her pale face with concern.
"Iel-nin, I can easily see to Feredir if you want," Elrond offered kindly, but Faelwen shook her head. "No, thank you, Ada," she said quietly, drawing a deep breath. "Everyone is right. I cannot run from this forever. I will manage."
"We will walk you there," said Elladan, as he and Haldir joined them and took her arm on either side. "We'll make sure she doesn't overdo it, Ada."
But poor Faelwen was simply destined not to have an easy moment that day. They had only made it half-way along the first corridor when they were accosted by Alyan and Nithron. Faelwen froze immediately. Elladan was certain that he could hear her heart pounding. Tensing, he got ready to bring either of the woodelves to the floor if need be.
"My lady, we wanted to thank you for what you have done for our brother," said Alyan politely; a tone of voice Faelwen could never remember hearing from him, as he bowed.
"Yes," said Nithron, doing likewise. "We are forever in your debt."
"He is still recovering and is not completely cured yet," said Faelwen unsteadily, daring – just for a second – to meet Alyan's eyes. "I am going to tend to him now. Excuse me." She practically sprinted away and Haldir, trying to appear casual about it, followed.
"You must excuse my sister," said Elladan, trying valiantly to keep stiffness and hostility out of his voice. "She is of a nervous disposition and is somewhat jumpy around strangers."
"I would forgive her anything – we owe her my brother's life," said Alyan solemnly, and Elladan, not trusting himself to refrain from punching the hypocritical bastard any longer, took his leave with a polite nod.
"Her reputation as one of the best healers in Middle Earth was not exaggerated then," said Nithron, to his older brother, as they were left alone. "I wish she did not look so very much like Naneth though - it just makes me think of…"
"Hush!" said Alyan, his eyes darkening. "Do not speak of it! This is neither the time nor the place. Let's catch up with the others. Come along!"
When Elladan reached the healing wards, he found Haldir stroking Faelwen's hair calmingly as she mixed together some fragrant combination of herbs with which to treat her twin. He was encouraging her; praising her for making the first step and looking her eldest brother in the face. The eldest son of Elrond crossed the room to stand by the unconscious body of Faelwen's twin.
"Oh Faelwen, he is simply a male version of you! You are almost identical," he said in amazement. "It feels so strange to think that you have another brother besides us and Estel – I am not counting the others, obviously!"
"I think his eyes are blue though, as far as I remember," said Faelwen, drawing the covers down to Feredir's waist, revealing puckered scars all over the torso. Gently, she began to apply the ointment. "Not green like mine are. He was lucky you found him, Elladan – had you and Elrohir not managed to bring him here so quickly, he would certainly be dead!"
Either the sense of someone near, or the cool touch of the ointment disturbed the unconscious elf and he drew a deep and painful shuddering breath.
"Shh. Breathe easy," she murmured gently, pressing a calming hand against his forehead, as she put the last bandage over the substance on his wounds. Focusing her healing energy, she calmed him quickly. He was going to be fine now, of that she was sure. She would have to stay away from now on – for he would be sure to recognise her as easily as she had identified him!
And then, to her horror, his eyes opened!
"Mandos? Am I dead?" asked a mellow, pleasant-sounding voice, as he struggled to sit up.
"No. You do need to rest, though," said Elladan firmly, taking charge. "My sister has managed to keep you from death, but the scars will take a while to heal."
"Your sister?" Feredir looked past Elladan to find the elf to whom he owed his life. His jaw dropped open and tears flooded into his eyes. Was he seeing things?
"Alassë?" he cried, almost disbelievingly. He reached out to clutch her wrist. As soon as he touched her, he could feel through that special bond, unique to twins, that his eyes were not deceiving him. "It is you! Alassë! How can you…what are you…I thought I would never see you again!"
"Mae Govannen, Feredir," said Faelwen shakily, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Feredir flung his arms around her neck, not caring about the pain it caused him, as sobs began to wrack his body.
"I had almost given up all hope!" he wept, grasping a handful of her hair as though to check that she was not an apparition. "I thought I would never be able to see you again. And you're here! Oh 'Las, I knew you were not dead!"