Yes! And here is chapter 8! Enjoy these lovely twins and in the mean time I will tackle chapter 9.

And please, leave a review! Reviews keep me going... thank you!

8. The next day the brothers acted distant …..

The next day the brothers appeared distant. She could not coax them into conversation. Elladan's good natured smile had disappeared. To her own surprise, she felt hurt by it and could not help but wonder what she did wrong. She knew it was childish to seek the cause with herself, but she had no alternative theory, unless something happened during the night while she was sleeping.

Riding with Elladan felt for the first time strained. He did not talk with her and seemed lost in his own thoughts. When she asked him if something was the matter, he smiled at her, saying it was nothing. But the smile did not reach his eyes.

Noon passed and they ate some dried fruit in silence underneath a large oak tree. The brothers ignored each other. She suspected that they had an argument about something during the night. But what was the cause of it?

Then Elrohir put her on Suldal and gave her the reins. "You ride for a while." was all he grunted. She blinked at this and felt a bit apprehensive, but she took them without questioning. She had seen the brothers ride for days now and she had no doubt that they would not trust her with this if there would be risk either for horse or rider. Elrohir stroked Suldal's neck, whispering Elvish into his ears. Then he stroked her leg, giving her short instructions. When she nodded in understanding he stalked off into the surrounding trees, disappearing from sight. Elladan snorted behind her.

After the first tricky moments, she soon felt comfortable with riding alone. Instead of his normally fiery character, Suldal was now steady and easy, no doubt as a friendly gesture towards her, at Elrohir's request. Elladan would still not talk, but gave her encouraging nods whenever she sought eye contact.

After an hour or so, Elrohir appeared, sitting on the branch of an enormous oak tree waiting for them. At the sight of them approaching he jumped down silent as a cat. He nodded at Rin, satisfied that she had a good connection with Suldal and could ride him well on her own now. He jumped behind her in the saddle, grasping her waist. He whispered a soft "Thank you." in her ear and they continued their steady pace in between the trees.

The land around them changed slowly. Trees became more scattered, the ground started to be more and more covered in grass. Suddenly the land seemed to plummet downwards into a see of grass as far as the eye could see. The wind created the illusion of waves, as if she was staring over a vast green ocean while standing on top of a surf. The air was crisp and clear, the smell of moisture and grass penetrating her senses. In the distance, hilltops were partially hidden in rain clouds. They formed a stark contrast to the sun-engulfed height that they were standing on, feeling the warm bright rays of the sun.

Elladan pointed to the distance. "Imladris is a days ride from here, behind those hills."

Rin felt her stomach plummeting. This journey would end tomorrow! Her anger at the brothers for postponing their journey to hunt orcs seemed a lifetime away now. She caught herself thinking that she wanted this journey in the wild to last forever. She felt safe with them and they made her connect with that part of herself that she denied for so many years.

There was uncertainty waiting for her in Rivendell. How would their father, Elrond, as she recalled from the books, judge her? Or could he help her find her way home? The idea that she had to leave the twins and go back to her life in Japan, sparring daily with Hideo, seemed preposterous. How could she live that empty life ever again? A life of bitter grief, of hiding her true self. There was nothing for her there.

She was no fool, though. Life in Middle Earth was exciting so far, but she knew if the twins would go their own path away from hers …. Right now the twins distracted her from what was inside of her. What if the twins went their own way after reaching Rivendell? The thought made her stomach churn and she quickly tried to avert her thoughts.

Then Elladan suddenly looked behind him to trees that were scattered behind them, staying very still, obviously sensing something. She followed his gaze, the trees casting deep shadows on the grass underneath the bright sun. The contrast was harsh, making the shadows impenetrable for her human eyes. She could not detect anything. After a while Elladan shared a knowing look with his brother, their mutual ire forgotten for the time being. They sprang into action within the blink of an eye, Elrohir was cursing behind her.

They sat a quick pace, nudging their stallions in the flanks aggressively. But no sooner did they begin to thunder downhill that Elrohir cried out in pain and anger, her ears were ringing with it.

Startled, she tried to see his face. His body weight suddenly pressed heavily into her back, forcing her to use her body strength to sit up straight to prevent herself from falling off the horse. He kept on groaning.

"Elrohir? Shimatta! What happened!"

His usually strong voice sounded strained: "Shhh….Rin.… be quiet and ride for me… here… take the reins." He spoke quick words in Elvish to Suldal, who leapt forwards with thundering speed, leaving Rin to hold on the horse and reins for dear life. Next to her Elladan was cursing. He rode alongside her for a while eyeing Elrohir with a rage in his eyes that she had not seen before. He yelled over the sound of the hooves: "Rin! He has been shot! Ride to the ruins over the hilltops ahead. Wait there for me and do not take the arrow out!"

He unsheathed his sword with one quick move, the reflection of sunlight on the blade blinding her for a split second. For a moment he looked every inch the Elf Lord that he was, noble, ancient, beautiful and dangerous. He seemed to radiate power and his grey eyes were clouded by revenge. He shared one look with her. One intense look. And she yelled at him: "Be safe! Kill them all!"

He gave her a nod, and abruptly steered his horse around and thundered uphill back towards the forest with incredible speed. She focused on the hilltops in the distance, trying desperately to follow Suldal's movements and speed. Elrohir was silent behind her, his hands grasping her waist almost painfully. She had to get both of them to safety.

The hilltops ahead seemed closer than she thought at first sight. Soon they were thundering uphill. The rainclouds had passed, leaving the grass wet and glistening. Noticing the ruins that Elladan spoke off, Rin slowed Suldal down into a canter in the way she saw Elrohir do so often. Riding towards the crumbling walls, she stopped at a particular one that stood up like ragged teeth. The stones were covered in lush ferns and other plants that she did not recognize. A part of a stone arch was still in place, giving some shelter from the weather and unfriendly eyes.

She disentangled herself from Elrohir carefully and slid out of the saddle, careful to not tip him over. He was a mess. His face looked white, drained of color. He was panting, his back was covered in blood. An arrow with black and white feathers stuck out of his shoulder in an obscene way, causing an angry red bloodtrail. Slowly he lowered himself out of the saddle. He let her help him towards the broken remnants of the wall, sitting down with his side leaning against it.

The sight of the arrow made her choke on her emotions. This adventure had felt dangerous but controllable due to the power of the brothers up until this moment. They made her feel safe and protected. And now suddenly, the adventure turned into a horror story and fear spiked in the pit of her stomach.

Elrohir just sat there, eyes closed face contorted in pain. After his body adjusted to the new position, he opened his eyes, giving her a shaky smile. "Rin… do not be troubled… I have been wounded worse than this in the past." He smiled at her worried frown and caressed her cheek with his fingers for a moment.

"Will you be OK? Promise me you will be OK!"

"Aye, you need not worry, Rin", his voice became softer, and then he lost consciousness, leaving her startled.

She checked his pulse. His heartbeat was steady and strong despite of the blood loss. She sighed. If only Elladan was here now. How was he faring? She did not touch the arrow as Elladan had told her not to take the arrow out. If only he was here now… Waiting for him made her feel anxious. She had unfaltering faith in their skills, but Elrohir being shot dented that faith. Would Elladan be able to kill the ones who shot his brother? Why did it take such a long time?

Dusk neared, in its wake a dense white fog that enveloped the ruins and made her feel desperate. How was he supposed to find them now? Covering Elrohir in the mantle keeping him warm, she unsheathed her katana to be prepared in case the enemy would find them instead of Elladan.

She sat poised with her back against the wall, her body alert. Only a few moments before all light would disappear, she heard the dull sound of hooves on grass. Hiding behind the wall, she held her breath and listened to a rider jumping on the ground, leading the horse further by hand.

When the sounds reached the edge of the wall, she let her body uncoil and sprang into action, her katana at throat height. A sharp sound reverberated through the mist when her katana connected to a sword that she recognized immediately: "Elladan! Kami!" she cried and flung her arms around his neck.

She heard a tired grunt and felt his arms encircling her waist, stroking her back softly. He stuck his nose in her neck for a short while relishing her warmth and smell. Then he asked her softly, "How is he?"

"Not good. He lost a lot of blood and he is unconscious. We need to get the arrow out."

He released her and kneeled next to his brother. He cursed softly, fumbling with a knife that he took from the folds of his clothing. Without looking at her he said: "I need light Rin. How long will it take for you to make your ….. lantern to work?"

She stared at him for a few seconds until she realised what he was talking about.

"Which horse?"

"Mithroch." He still did not look at her, his hands softly stroking his brother's face.

She felt her way through the content of his saddlebags until her fingers met a familiar shape. She janked it free from its hiding place and pressed the button feverishly. When an unnatural white light caused reflections on the twin's weaponry, she sighed in relief.

She guided his searching hands with the lantern and in the small circle of light, she noticed that he was splattered with blood, his hair on the right side dried to hard strands. A cut was visible on his arm, not deep but it looked painful. It was odd to use this light from 21st century earth here. The whiteness of the light made it unnatural, alien. It did not belong there and it did not feel familiar to her any longer.

Elladan cut through the layers of Elrohir's tunic, exposing his shoulder and back, carefully avoiding touching the arrow. He examined the wound carefully. After a while he let out a breath and sat down with a grunt, shoulders sacking. "I think the arrowhead is barbed and has penetrated his bone, how deep I cannot say. I am uncertain if it is poisoned. This is beyond my healing skills in the field …."

She felt tears. She had been scared to lose Elrohir and Elladan's words did nothing to ease her mind. On impulse she hugged Elladan from behind for comfort. He stiffened but then held her hands, relishing the feel of her behind him.

"Let me look at your arm."

"It is just a scratch. Leave it."

"Suit yourself then. So now what?"

"First we need to bind his wound to keep it from infecting or bleeding too much. We need to get him on one of the horses somehow without risking him falling of and injuring him further."

Rin nodded apprehensively. "How do you propose to do that?"

He fell silent for only a moment, thinking. "Unfortunately, the shaft of the arrow has penetrated his shoulder from the back, therefore I cannot support him sitting in front of me. In that position there will be, with every movement of the horse, some strain on the shaft, causing pain and more damage. No, the better option is for him to sit behind me."

Rin blinked. "But how will he not fall off? He is barely awake!"

"We have to tie him to me to secure him. There is rope in one of the saddlebags. There is more risk for him to fall off the horse, so we need to try to keep him awake and alert."

"Right...:" She did not see how this could work, but she trusted him.

"We are very near the borders of my father's realm, we must make haste from now on. My father is a skilled healer. We need to reach him soon." But despite the urgency of his words, he kept sitting in her embrace like dead weight. He felt tired and emotionally worn down and she felt so right behind him.

"How many..." she asked quietly.

"Eleven. It was the scout that shot him. The others were behind, unaware of the death of their informant. It was in my advantage."

She pulled his shoulders abruptly to see him in the eye. "Eleven? Have you lost your mind! You should have fled to get me! I could have helped!" She felt angry by the risk that he took.

"I have killed more whilst alone in the past. I rather have perished than to risk your safety in battle. I cannot guarantee it without my brother."

She blinked at his statement. "Shimatta! Your life over mine? You have known me only for a week!"

He stared at her intently: "Does that really matter?"

"Well… " she hesitated.

"I care for you, Rin."

She gaped at him. She closed her mouth after a while, unable to speak still. Then she said in a soft voice: "I thought you were mad at me today…."

"That was not your fault Rin. I was at odds with my brother. Complicated forces work around us. We have not penetrated the depths of it as of yet. Let us leave this subject for now and get my brother to my father's realm."

She nodded, noticing distantly that he did not call Rivendell 'home'. After getting rope, water, bandages and some herbs from the saddlebags, they tried to wake Elrohir, who responded only after repeated tries. He seemed too weak to take on a position that would enable his brother to treat his wound, so Elladan pulled him up with care to position him better. Then, without mercy, he broke off the arrow shaft with a loud snap, making Elrohir cry out in pain. He cleaned the skin surrounding the wound with some water. Then he put herbs soaked in some water around the arrow shaft and bound it with the bandages some light pressure, making sure the shaft was protected by a soft barrier of cloth around and over it.

Elrohir was barely conscious. But they needed to get him on the horse. After a few futile attempts to get him up Elladan slapped him in his face hard. Startled for a moment, Elladan blinked at him owlishly. "Aye, aye, brother… I know… !" he growled.

Elladan pulled him up, Elrohir's hands gripped around his forearms like hawk's claws. His jaw was working, his face contorted in pain. With his inhuman strength Elladan lifted him onto the horse somehow, ordering him to sit up. He quickly sat in front of him. Rin, who had already mounted Suldal, helped him winding the piece of rope around them both, to make sure he would not fall off the horse. Elrohir groaned in pain trying to sit comfortably without pain. He settled for wrapping his arms around Elladan's waist, his head leaning on his shoulder, his hair falling around his face like a silk curtain.

When they were set, Elladan looked at Rin saying softly. "You will be alright Rin? Let's keep an easy pace." She nodded and gritted her teeth, taking the reins.

They rode for hours. In the early morning at first light, the hills made way for an oak forest, crisp leaves cracking underneath their horses' hooves. Rin's thoughts were with Elrohir constantly. Being shot by an arrow was nothing like in movies she decided. In movies, characters would ride on or fight on with arrows sticking out of them as if it were nothing. But strong brave Elrohir was almost unconscious from blood loss, pain and perhaps poison from this one.

Whilst riding, he had been sagged limply against brother, using his remaining energy to hold on to his brother. Elladan spoke to him and prodded him from time to time to ensure he stayed awake. Still, she kept being worried sick about him.

She could tell that Elladan was extremely anxious. With his free hand, he touched Elrohir's legs and arms almost constantly, his graceful fingers stroking lovingly. He sang from time to time and chanted whispered Elvish words into his ears, his hand wandering towards his brother's head, trailing through his black silken locks, twirling the ends around his fingers.

Rin watched the open display of affection in fascination. It was not normal brotherly behaviour. They seemed too close, too physical with each other. But the intimacy of the scene just made her insides melt. It was painfully beautiful, this affection, but at the same time confusing. She felt attracted by it. She wanted to be part of it.

What was the nature of their bond exactly? They were so close, but she felt she just scratched the surface of their secrets. What would one be without the other? The only fact she was certain about, was that she could not imagine them apart. It would be just wrong...

She studied Elladan who rode at her side. The dried blood on his skin stood out on the whiteness of his skin in the clear morning light. He looked tired and worn down, his skin almost transparent, dark circles underneath his eyes. But through his fatigue there was a calmness radiating from him that comforted her. A tension she didn't know she had was released, making her more relaxed in the saddle. Ever sensitive to her moods, he seemed to notice a difference in her demeanor and smiled warmly.

"You can let go of your worries soon, Rin. It will not be long ere we reach the Ford of Bruinen which marks the borders of my fathers realm."

She smiled at him wistfully: "I am glad and sad at the same time."

He looked surprised at her words: "Why would this sadden you?"

Feeling shy she pushed on nevertheless: "It means that our journey in the wild is ending. And I am not sure what lies ahead of me. And..." she added in a smaller voice: "I rather liked this roaming through the wild with the both of you…."

Elladan was unable to speak. His chest filled with a warm fluid it seemed, making his lungs heave air painfully. Butterflies burst out in his stomach. This mortal! It was like she was custom-made for them. What woman would find enjoyment in travelling the wild with two Elf brothers, seeking out life-threatening danger that was lurking around every corner? But there she was, right in front of him. He stared at her, amazed. He felt Elrohir's arms tighten around his waist and vaguely wondered if he heard their conversation.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you did not. I am merely surprised at your remark, it is not the reaction that I expected from a female, and a mortal woman at that. Bloodshed would be the breaking point to most I suspect." he raised one eyebrow at her, smirking.

She giggled: "I am not most…"

"Indeed…" he added thoughtfully. And to his satisfaction, she blushed.