5. They travelled for what seemed hours...

They travelled for what seemed hours. She felt herself drifting off to sleep occasionally. Her head was in complete disarray. Her thoughts jumping, memories forced themselves on her. As always Elrohir sensed her state of mind almost on instinct and seemed to be pressed into her more securely, his warmth giving a little comfort. Around them the trees had grown large, reaching up towards the sky with slender branches, glowing white in the light of the stars.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they slowed down to make camp. Elladan dismounted his horse and with a swift movement, lifted her out of his brothers saddle. Once standing, he wrapped his cloak around her more securely and sat her down on the roots of a big tree, her back leaning against it.

She smelled the soothing pine trees again, but also trees that she could not place. The twins were talking softly in their own musical tongue, rummaging around in the dark. She dozed off for a while, but woke up with a start feeling a hand on her shoulders.

The dull sky had exploded into a shining mass of stars and a small fire was crackling merrily, small sparks jumping out and floating into the night. The trees around them seemed to move and aflame in burning orange and yellow colors. For the first time since she travelled with them, they cooked some warm food: dried meat combined with some root vegetables and a pinch of salt that Elrohir reverently took from a small wooden box. It simmered in a small kettle on the fire, the smell warming her bones. It was not much, but they ate as starved people. And then when their bellies were filled they sat staring into the fire, silent.

After a while Elladan started to sing softly. She could not understand the words, but the song was melancholic and the slow melody stirred emotions deep within her. Tired of the events of the day, she could no longer fight her internal turmoil and she let the tears run freely while listening to him. Elrohir seemed just as moved by his brothers song and his face was contorted in grief.

After the last words faded away into the night Elladan's eyes were closed for some time. When he looked up he seemed to wake from a dream. Rin stared at him in wonder, drying her tears with her sleeve. "That was absolutely beautiful… what was the song about? It sounded so sad."

Elladan sighed: "The tragic story of Beren and Luthien, who walk these lands no more…I cannot speak of it tonight."

She knew about this song, but nothing prepared her for the real experience of hearing the melody and words herself. It had seemed as if it had been more than just a song, the words, although foreign had held some force or power. It evoked emotion in her in a controlled manner. Instead of the turmoil that had consumed her all day, the melody seemed to have broken an invisible dam with reverence instead of force and she felt a little bit healed by it. This must be that mysterious power or magic of the elves.

They did not try to comfort her when she cried and she was glad. But when she wanted to sleep, Elladan invited her to lie with her head in his lap. She welcomed this extra warmth. At first it was a bit awkward, but she felt too tired to care and she relaxed her head and neck into the warmth, the warm flames lulling her to sleep. Just before she surrendered to the darkness, she imagined feeling his hands stroking her hair, letting the long strands slip through his fingers.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next days they travelled further into the forest. It was majestic and seemingly endless. The large trees towering above them. Autumn had set in, coloring the leaves brown and orange. The horses feet crunching through a layer of already fallen leaves. They did not encounter a lot of wildlife, only the occasional fox and deer. The brothers seemed to have a grand respect for all living things and they bowed their head ever so slightly for every large animal that they encountered, mummering a soft elvish greeting.

They rode cautiously, minimizing their sounds. Often one of the twins was scouting ahead, leaving her with the other. Riding with Elladan ment elaborate conversations. He wanted to know everything about her life and her country. His questions were of such innocent character that she found herself opening up to him easily. She shared very personal things about her life in Japan and she suspected that he understood far more about her character, past and whereabouts than she told him in words. The eerie feeling that she could have no secrets for these brothers was a constant.

When she rode with Elrohir, he was silent most of the time, answering her questions with short grunts. But she noticed that he was, apart from being short for words, incredibly funny. Their conversations, when they had them, were like a battle of wits. He won most of the time, he had centuries of experience after all. After which he teased her with her defeat relentless.

But despite their differences she started to notice that these brothers did not need any words between them. Centuries of interaction with each other did that to people she guessed. But it was strange to experience, if she didn't know any better, it seemed like telepathy. Most of the time a look was enough. Often they would finish each other's train of thought. Their decisions, even small ones, were made together. They were aware of each others traits and quirks, but they respected each others opinion nevertheless, often with some exasperation. She wondered if her presence would have a negative effect on the equilibrium that they apparently lived in for centuries now.

Her first fight had changed something in their regard for her. They were more affectionate with her but in a respectful way. The affection was mainly physical. She suspected that riding with a woman in front of you on a horse, was challenging for a man. But they seemed more touchy since the fight, their hands holding her waist almost constantly, or resting on one of her legs. Those lingering hands stirred feelings and sensations deep within her. But she felt awkward because it felt so pleasant and because they did it openly, plain for the other to see. She had no idea if they were conscious of this change or if it held any meaning for them. For all she knew it was normal for Elves to touch each other this much? In any case she wasn't complaining.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Apart from their physical affection and pleasant conversation they seemed non-communicative on their enemies whereabouts or the strategies that they were following. At the end of the third day after the fight she noticed a difference in their direction and the brothers demeanor. She had the distinct feeling that they were riding in a big circle back to where they were a day before.

Their stealth was growing with each minute, even Elladan became as silent as his brother. They were constantly listening, stopping and scouting. Slowly it dawned on her that they were not fleeing or evading, but actually hunting the enemy now and it caused a nervous kind of anticipation in her body and the familiar stirr of anger deep within her. She felt shocked that they would meet the enemy head on with her in tow, without mentioning it to her.

The previous fight had went well but she was inexperienced and they knew it. There had been moments in that fight that they could not have come to her aid had she needed it. The group of orcs was small, but if there had been more, it could have ended badly for her.

On top of that, they were Elves! They had abnormal strength and senses. They could evade the orcs easily. Why did they not tell her what they were heading into to make her wary and prepared?

Anger getting the better of her and she said irritated: "When were you going to tell me that we are going to meet them head on?"

Elladan looked at her sharply: "Why? We will end them with ease. You need not be concerned."

She rolled her eyes, irritated: "Why put me in harms way? Why not evade them so you can bring me to Rivendell safely? Isn't that your goal?"

At her blunt tone of voice, Elladan replied coolly: "Our purpose is to cleanse these lands of evil. Your safety was never our goal as you put it."

"So you are gambling with my life without my consent? You can easily evade them. I know you can."

Elrohir said angrily: "That is not our way. We cannot let them live in these lands"

"But you are gambling with my life! You are expecting me to hunt them down with you! To kill them. But you fail to inform me of that!" she noticed vaguely that she was yelling at them.

She was fed up with them suddenly and she wrenched herself out of Elladans grip and jumped to the ground. She stared up at them, hands on her hips, seething. They seemed irritated, Elrohir angry even, his grey eyes clouded, his mouth an angry set line. He spat something in quick Elvish to his brother. Elladan grunted in response.

"What is the difference with the last fight? Dead is dead", he said.

"There is difference and you know it! The other day they happened upon us. I defended myself because I had no choice. But now I have a choice. And I think it only fair that you at least discuss it with me in advance."

"Discuss it? You are still a child to us, what would you know of danger and risks?", Elrohir snorted.

"Pardon me? I am no child! How dare you say that to me, you arrogant bastard Elf Lord!"

She felt tears of anger filling her eyes. She clenched her fists. She would not cry in front of them, no matter what!

Elrohir had no patience with her anger: "Watch your tongue mortal. We are not bastards but of noble blood. You do well to remember that. And do not attempt to change our ways, girl. We hunt orc, it is the way that we are. Death will come for us as it will see fit. Evading our purpose will not change that."

She blinked. What was he rambling about? "Do you value life so little? That you would carelessly throw it away?"

They gave her a pained look. Elrohir looked away silently. After a pregnant silence, Elladan said: "Do not pretend to understand, it takes more than orcs to kill us. And we do value life. We dedicated our actions for its preservation, but we cannot ignore the urges of our hearts."

Elrohir added angrily: "You are part of this Rin, even if you do not wish it."

She stared at them, letting their words sink in. She was part of this. What was 'this' exactly? Was she part of their suffocating togetherness? Part of this hunt? Her anger lessened, making place for an uneasy feeling. They were compelled to hunt their enemy, it seemed an urge they could not fight. Her participation in the last fight made her in a weird way an intricate part of this existence. Even she could feel it. It chilled her to the bone. Giving in to those primal instincts in her first fight felt like a liberation. But those feelings were now tucked away deep inside her again and the memory of the experience a faint echo. How would her sanity hold if she fought again?

The brothers stared down at her, perched on their horses. Their faces serious, eyes glinting. Anticipation hung in the air as if the forest held its breath.

Her thoughts were racing. What would happen if she walked out? She seemed to instinctively understand the workings of their brain and hearts. Just as they seemed to understand what she was thinking all the time.

There was no going back, if she abandoned them now, she would lose a part of herself that she had only just discovered. If she abandoned them now, they would hunt the orcs, kill them and retrieve her afterwards to bring her to Rivendell, but they would shut her out, these brothers were scarred just like her and very closed, a habit that existed for centuries. She had been allowed to see a very intimate part of them and she was certain no Elf or man had ever been allowed this close.

The thought of them leaving her and shutting her out, scared her. Their togetherness felt so right. She wanted to be part of this, whatever this was. She wanted to fight, more than anything in her life. She realised, that it was the mere fact that they made decisions without her that had made her angry. If she was part of it, she wanted to be their equal.

Well. She was their equal.

"I will fight." they seemed to relax a bit.

"But if I am part of this, you cannot treat me like a child and make decisions about my life. You are not alone any longer. I am here now. Deal with it."

Elladan blinked at her, the irritation still there: "You are troublesome."

"Aye, troublesome, irritating and a burden. But I guess you have a point." his brother added. To her relief, his eyes had softened a bit giving her courage.

She suddenly grinned. "So I won the fight?"

Elrohir laughed his clear laugh out loud: "Aye, Rin. I guess you did."

Elladan was still irritated and could not smile. He seemed disturbed by her intrusion in their affairs.

Elrohir held out his hand to her, but she refused. "Let me walk for a while, my ass is hurting from the saddle." Elrohir turned a subtle shade of pink at her use of language and she softly chuckled turning around walking away.

The sound of hooves followed her and suddenly she was lifted in the saddle effortlessly with his inhuman strength. She gasped when she felt his breath tickle her neck. He was bending towards her ear saying with a dark voice: "So, will you hunt orcs with us?"

"Hai.."

She felt him smile and release a sigh: "Good."

And he spurred his horse on in an easy trod through the trees. After a while Elladan caught up with them. The dark mood in his eyes lifted a bit: "Was it that easy? You just wanted us to ask?"

She smiled at him: "Yes, that easy."

Finally he smiled as well: "Alright my dear lady. We will ask your permission from this moment onwards. But only if you will grace us with a positive answer."

"I promise to follow you happily in any battle that you propose."

The twins burst out in happy laughter. And she felt light as a feather.