Hunting you I can smell you - alive,

Your heart pounding in my head.

Evanescence -- `Haunting'

Chapter V: Aidan's Children

A dark haired figure drew to a halt in a small clearing of trees, taking a moment to pause and regain his breath. Elladan examined his surroundings with grey-blue eyes, searching the trees for Elrohir. But neither hair nor nail could be found, and Elladan was dismayed for he had no idea where his twin could have fled.

What had happened to Elrohir? He frowned, his dark brows furrowing together in confusion. Something was wrong with Elrohir, it was as if he had been transformed, but to what? And now... and now Elladan was lost. Looking about he knew this too well; all the trees seemed the same, and he did not know where he was. The woods were freezing cold and the crisp air burned his lungs, though fortunately no snow was falling.

Elladan drew in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, covering them with one hand and holding out the other and pointing. It was childish, he knew, but then he spun around three times, and went in the direction he was pointing. It was something he had always done when lost as a child, and if it did not work, he didn't know what would.

Something sweet drifted in the cold air. It was singing Elladan soon realized, a tragic song in elvish sung by a lilting, feminine voice. Curious, he paused to listen for the source, finding that the fog seemed to devour all sound. Then it came again, a little bit stronger, and he walked towards it, pushing aside snow- covered foliage. Bits of white fluff drifted down, sticking to his tunic and he wished that he had taken a moment to dress in something warmer.

Finally Elladan came upon the source of the singing; an elf maiden was seated upon a log, dressed in a fur-trimmed cloak. Her fair hair fell loose well past her shoulders, and her unearthly pale skin had an unnaturally strong glow, even for an elf. Elladan tiled his head, squinting... she seemed to be glowing light blue? Though he was near, she had not heard Elladan approach her until he gave a sniff and she looked up, eyes wide and startled. Then a smile of understanding spread across her visage and she stood up, touching her face in a sign of greeting.

Elladan returned the gesture, "Milady, what are you doing out of doors at this hour? The woods are not a safe place to be alone, especially at this time of night."

"Then what are you here for?" She asked.

"I am seeking someone, my brother, have you seen him pass? He is my twin... that is, he is identical to me."

Eyes narrowing for a moment, the elf maiden nodded, "I saw one as you pass. In fact, I had thought that you were he, passing by again."

"Can you direct me where he went?"

"Better yet, I shall walk with you to where he is."

"Where is he? How do you know?" Elladan asked quickly, his brotherly defensiveness rising.

"Just follow me..." She said, placing one cold finger against his lips. She was so close to him... he could feel her breath upon her face, but it was like a cold wind and did not form into steam like his did.

Their gaze held, his grey and her deepest cobalt blue. Slowly she trailed her finger from his mouth to the side of his face, caressing it seductively, "So handsome..."

Elladan found himself leaning into her touch, but then reeled back and quickly took a step away from her, alarmed, "If you will excuse me. My brother, please, bring me to him."

She pouted childishly, and then nodded, turning around and pulling the hood of her cloak about her head. Elladan followed the silvery glow for what must've been several hours. It was midnight, Elladan guessed, by the time she reached the opening to a cave. At once Elladan recognized this as the same where they had found Elrohir after the spider attack. What could this mean, he wondered, but had a feeling that he would soon find out.

A heart beat quickly, a fast, fluttering beat that he had once known so well. Elrohir was familiar with this beat as much as he was with his own, in a way it was, or had been, his own; for this, he knew was Elladan's. His own brother needed to join him -- Elladan needed to understand this power he now possessed... he needed to know the joy of flight, the sweet, metallic tang of blood, and the vivid night vision vampires possess. Elladan was his!

Elrohir took a step towards the cave entrance, licking his ruby lips, but Aidan's hand came to rest upon his chest, "My fledgling, you are still too weak to make another. This one is mine."

With a hint of jealously to his movement, Elrohir stood back.

"Stand against the far back wall, where he will see you when he comes. Pretend that you are dead. I shall use you to bring him into my grasp..."

Elrohir complied, lying on the cave's ground, while Aidan concealed himself amongst the shadows on the cave's sides.

"This way." The maiden said softly, walking into the cave. Once inside there was neither moonlight nor snow to mark their passage, and Elrohir relied mostly on her glow and his own to guide them. She sped up, and like a candle smothered by a wind, she vanished, leaving him with nothing but his own dull glow.

Elladan blinked. Where had she gone? Then he shivered -- something was not right about this cave. There was something disconcerting about it, and he could sense that he was not alone.

Before him he saw a figure lying on the ground, familiar dark hair pooled about a head that rested on the ground. The tunic was ripped in the back, where holes had been torn in it by the bat wings that had burst forth, but were now within his body. Elladan rushed to his brother's side, crying his name. Suddenly, upon him was something, claws digging into his back. He cried out and squirmed, flinging himself on top of Elrohir to defend him. Then, Elrohir rolled out from under him and stood a little ways away, looking down upon him with a malicious smirk across his almost unrecognizable features.

To be continued...