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The morning sun broke through the small gaps between the trees and Estel blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light. He sat up and saw the twins still slumbering in their bed rolls. Glorfindel however, was awake and cooking breakfast over an already hot fire pit. The birds were only just starting to sing in the trees above them and Estel knew that it must still have been very early.
"Breakfast won't be long." Glorfindel said softly, trying not to wake the twins. "Then we should get going if we are to reach the site before lunch."
"I want to stay in the area a while." The young man whispered. "If Legolas is out here, we shouldn't move around so much or we could miss him. If we stay in certain spots for longer periods, we have a better chance of finding him. There is an old barracks not so far from here. I think, if anywhere, he would go there for shelter."
"Estel…" Glorfindel started.
"Please Glorfindel. I know that you don't think we'll find him. I know that you have given up on any chance that he might still be alive, but I haven't given up hope. He named me elf friend, we have a bond and that bond only breaks in death. If he had died I would have felt something." The twins had woken up through his small rant and were looking at him with large grey eyes. They looked a mixture of sad and weary and this did not help his growing anger. "I will find Legolas." He said stubbornly and surely. "Whether that takes me a few days, or a few years. I cannot, I will not give up on him." With that, he got to his feet, collected his sword and disappeared off into the surrounding trees.
"Estel, where are you going?" Elrohir called out to his younger brother as he scrambled out of his bed roll. "It's not safe to be out alone."
"I'm going for firewood." The young man shouted back. "And I want to be alone." He added turning around and shooting his brothers a dangerous look. Elrohir sat back down and watched nervously as his younger brother disappeared.
"He'll be okay 'Ro." Elladan whispered, gripping the top of his twin's arm. "We'll know if something happens to him and he won't wander off to far."
"He's right though." Glorfindel responded, turning back to his cooking. "If Legolas was dead he would know. Elf friend connections are very similar to family connections. It is the same as if something happened to either of you. The other would know. Legolas is also part wood-elf and has a stronger connection to everything around him. He has to be alive or Estel wouldn't be as sure about the prince's survival. He also requested that we should stay in the area and I think that we should at least spend another couple of days here."
"You think that the connection is drawing them together? Do you think that Legolas would come to us?" Elladan asked.
"Who's to say that he hasn't already been here?" Glorfindel asked. "If Estel feels that we should stay here then maybe it is a good idea. I think we just have to follow his instincts on this one."
