Chapter 5, The Hero

Elladan didn’t respond to his father’s enraged shouts as he scrambled down the tunnel.  There was no point—nothing could make him turn back.  That didn’t stop him from wincing, however, as he crawled forward, imagining all sorts of dire punishments for his flagrant disobedience.  He was certain that a day spent in the library would seem very tame compared to whatever he had earned this time, but still didn’t hesitate when his father yelled again for him to turn around instantly.  Even at this young age, Elladan knew there were some things in life that were absolute truths.  And one of those truths was if Elrohir needed him, he would risk anything for him.  Period.  Regardless of the cost. 

With thoughts of his twin uppermost in his mind, Elladan crawled on through the tunnel until he reached the tight passage that had blocked his mother.  He squirmed his way through carefully, forcing his way through the snug opening and finally reaching the torch that had been guiding his journey to this point.  He was grateful his mother had left it behind, for its bright light was a cheery companion as he slowly made his way through the tunnel, shoving the torch forward carefully as he went. 

As he continued, inch by inch, his thoughts drifted to what Elrohir’s trip through this tunnel must have been like.  What could have possessed him to even come down here?  It was so far from the main entrance and so…dark.  He shivered as he tried to imagine crawling around with no way of seeing what was in front of him.  Curiosity getting the better of him, he closed his eyes and felt with his hands, but within a few moments opened them quickly as the confining walls seemed to close in on him.  He took a deep breath as he shivered again.  That was not fun.  No wonder Elrohir was scared.

The tight passage forced the little elf to make his way slowly, always pushing the torch in front of him.  He was just beginning to wonder how much further he’d have to go, when he unexpectedly got his answer.  As he nudged the torch forward, it suddenly tipped and fell into the darkness.  In shock he watched it disappear over the edge of the rock, too stunned to even try to grab for it as it dropped into the black void.

Elladan’s first thought was fear that he, too, would be trapped without light, but apparently the floor wasn’t too far down, for as he scrambled the rest of the way through the tunnel, he could see the edge of the rock illuminated from below.

Carefully peering down, Elladan saw that the torch had fallen about eight feet and now lay on the edge of a chamber which looked like it had been carved out of the rock by a series of ancient streams, dried up in ages past.  At first, he wrinkled his nose, appalled by the smell coming from the countless rats that he could see darting about the floor, apparently upset by having a flaming torch fall into their normally dark lair.

“Eww,” he said aloud, looking at the rat droppings covering the floor.  It was a nasty place and the little boy frowned as he thought about having to climb down into it.

But Elrond’s eldest wasn’t the sort to let unpleasantness send him scurrying back into the tunnel.  He knew somewhere ahead was his twin, so with a disgusted sigh he accepted that would make his way through that mountain of rat droppings if he had to in order to find Elrohir.  Elrohir—where was he anyway?  Sitting back on his heels, Elladan studied the cavern beneath him, trying to see if there was any sign of his twin.  He blinked as he tried to focus on individual details, the rats making it difficult as they ran in front of the flickering torchlight, painting eerie pictures on the walls.  Despite himself, he shivered.  Not only was this place nasty, it was creepy too.

The longer he sat there, looking down onto the disturbing scene, hearing the scratching and squeaking of the rats, the more he felt the strangeness of the place seep into his bones and for the first time since he had escaped his father, Elladan truly began to feel the flutters of fear.  There was something here that seemed to pierce his soul and make him feel absolutely alone, as if he’d be trapped in this place, forever separated from those he loved.

Elladan fought the feeling with all his being.  He never liked to admit he was frightened, even to himself.  Although he was just a little fellow, as the eldest of Rivendell’s lord, he had decided years ago that he wasn’t allowed to be scared—that he must always show a brave face to the world to make his father proud.  Most of the time he was able to carry it off, even when inside he envied Elrohir’s freedom to express himself more openly.  But sometimes it was hard to be brave and this was one of those times.  Something in this place seemed to be clawing at him, making him want to cry in despair and forget all about pride…something that was going to trap him here if he stayed…something…  The feeling built and built until he finally had too much.

“No,” he whispered, starting to crawl backwards, the driving need to get OUT of this place making him forget why he had come.  He spun around to the tunnel, but in doing so was cut off from the torchlight, causing the path ahead to loom just as ominously as the cave behind.  On the edge of panic, the little elf twisted back around and frantically looked to see if there was another way out that wouldn’t involve leaving the light.

But then…then his breath left him in a whoosh and he forgot to feel afraid, forgot the smell, forgot the rats.  As his eyes had flown across the far edge of the chamber, they locked onto something he had overlooked before.  He didn’t know what made him pause—it wasn’t anything specific that he saw—but somehow, when his eyes flickered past a dark lump near the far wall, everything fell back into place.

“Ro…” he whispered.

Without conscious thought, the small elf flew down the rock and ran into the shadows, twisting to avoid the rats that still scurried around, skidding to a stop when he reached the dark shape.  Now that he was close enough, even though the torchlight barely reached this far, he could tell without a doubt that it was his twin curled against the rock. 

Elladan felt no elation at having discovered his brother, however.  Even in the gloom, he knew something was terribly wrong.  Swallowing hard, he fell to his knees beside the still figure and reached out a shaky hand before pulling it back, somehow unwilling to touch him.

He reached out again, both hands hovering over his brother, still hesitating to touch him as he strained his eyes to see.  Elrohir was little more than a shape in the dark, but Elladan could see that he was lying on his side, curled up with his arms covering his head.

“Elrohir?” he said loudly, his own voice making him jump.  For just a split second he was embarrassed at allowing the sound of his voice to startle him.  How stupid!  But then as he stared at his unmoving brother, he wished more than anything that Elrohir would look up and laugh at him for being so silly.  It would be worth looking foolish it if it meant Elrohir was okay.

“Ro?” he whispered, feeling more comfortable making soft sounds in this creepy place.

When Elrohir didn’t respond, didn’t even twitch, Elladan scowled and then reluctantly took his shoulders and gently shook him.  Still no response.

“Elrohir,” he said a bit louder.

No sound answered him.  No movement.  There was no sign that the motionless figure was in any way aware of the small elf sitting beside him.  Elladan pulled back, his breath becoming rapid as the reality of the situation fully hit him.  He had envisioned finding Elrohir, extricating him from whatever mess he’d gotten himself into, and then triumphantly leading him back to their parents, a hero.  But grim reality snuffed out that vision.  There was something very wrong with his twin and Elladan had no idea what to do next.

Sifting through a dozen different ideas and rejecting them all, Elladan finally decided he needed to understand just what was wrong with his brother before he could come up with a plan.  So, biting his upper lip between his teeth, Elladan rolled his twin onto his back and then gently straightened him out.  He huffed in frustration as he was still unable to see clearly—it was too dark, but he didn’t want to leave him to fetch the torch.

Deciding to once more try to wake him, Elladan grabbed Elrohir’s shoulders and shook him harder than the last time.

When there was still no response, Elladan fought to keep his voice even as he called, “Elrohir, wake up.  It’s me!  I…I’m here to get you out, but you have to wake up.  Ro…please.  Please!”

Somewhere within Elrohir’s mind, he heard his twin’s call and wanted to respond.  Elladan was his brother, his best friend, and yes, sometimes even his protector and he knew that Elladan would save him if he could.  But long hours ago, another part of Elrohir had finally conceded that no one would ever come for him—that he had been abandoned in this dark, never-ending nightmare, so he didn’t believe it was really his brother’s voice that he heard.  Instead, the scared little elf burrowed himself even deeper into his mind to escape the terrifying reality that he would die in this horrid, rat-filled hell.

When Elladan’s efforts still didn’t make any difference, he slumped down and with a small pout, pulled his twin to him, finding comfort by hugging him even if he didn’t respond.  After awhile, though, determination once more entered his soul and he gently let go of Elrohir, placing him once more on the floor.  He wasn’t ready to give up yet, but he conceded that he really did need to see what was wrong, so he quickly scrambled over to the torch and brought it back, hoping its bright light could help.

The flickering glow did nothing to make Elladan feel better.  In fact, as the circle of light finally fell on the unconscious elfling, Elladan shivered in fear.  Now that he could clearly see Elrohir, the reality was far worse than he’d imagined.  Bruises, scrapes, and what appeared to be dozens of…bites?…covered every exposed part of his body.  But even more disturbing was the fact that his brother’s eyes were closed tightly.  Elladan had been expecting the peaceful look of one lost in sleep, but instead this was something entirely new and frightening.

“Ro…?” he whispered tremulously, frightened to see his brother in such a state.  He had seen Elrohir hurt before, of course, for their many adventures had at times ended in mishap, but this was different.  Not only did Elrohir look horrible, but…but there was something else that was different.  Elladan could never have explained it, but his twin felt different. 

While carefully patting Elrohir on the head in a useless attempt to make his twin—or was it himself?—feel better, Elladan tried to understand exactly what he was feeling.  Neither one of them had ever really thought too deeply about their connection before.  It was just like breathing.  It was a part of who they were.  Their father had told them that the bond wasn’t something everyone had, but even so, this sense of Elrohir had been with him his whole life and as such, it hadn’t been something he had really focused on.  But now...now it was different and Elladan found himself trying to understand this thing that connected him to his twin.  He still felt it, but instead of it being strong and pure, it was faded and jagged, as if it had been mauled and torn.  What did it mean?  How could he make it better?  Was that what was keeping Elrohir from waking up? 

Lost in thought the little boy forgot about his surroundings until something bumped into his back and he jerked back into the present, glaring at the rat that had reminded him of his current plight. 

Shaking his head to rid himself of useless reflections, Elladan looked once again at his brother and said quietly, “We have to get out of here, Ro.”  He accepted that Elrohir wasn’t going to answer him, but it still made him feel better to at least pretend his twin could hear him. 

Unable to come up with any better idea, Elladan grabbed his brother under the arms and started dragging him across the floor in the direction of the tunnel opening.  He slowly shuffled backward, trying to be careful with his limp burden, and managed to get about a quarter of the way across the cavern before his feet became tangled with one of the many rats still darting about.  Landing hard on his backside, Elladan let out a little “oompf” and glared at the little beasts—nasty little buggers! 

With a huff, he glanced at all the others rushing around behind him and conceded that he was going to end up on the ground again if he continued walking backward.  So, deciding to try something else, the little elf braced himself and attempted to pick up Elrohir the way he’d seen warriors practicing, easing to his feet as he carefully balanced his twin across his shoulders.  He went down on his knees twice before he was completely upright, but then he slowly started once more across the floor.  Only took a few steps later, though, his precarious hold proved inadequate when he stumbled on the uneven floor and with a little yell, the two fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs.  Skinned knees and a banged elbow weren’t enough to distract him from what he had just done.  He had dropped Elrohir!  Twisting around to where his twin lay behind him, Elladan was further horrified to see that the rats were showing their displeasure at having an elf dropped on their heads by biting at the unmoving heap.  Diving into the fray, Elladan swung at the attacking creatures, suffering a number of bites himself as he tried to keep them from his twin. 

“Get away from him!” he screamed wildly.  “Go away!”

His frantic actions only infuriated the little attackers more, however, and they continued to nip and scratch at the two elflings until Elladan grabbed up the torch and waved it around, finally chasing the rats off.

Seeing they were safe for the moment, Elladan draped himself over his unresponsive brother, almost sobbing in reaction.

“I won’t let them get you anymore,” he promised in a shaky whisper.  “I promise.  They won’t get you.  You…you just rest.  I’ll protect you.”

For the longest time, Elladan stayed that way, sheltering Elrohir as much as possible with his own body while the rats flitted about the cave, once again ignoring the two elflings that were trapped in their world.  Eventually, though, Elladan calmed himself down and pulled back, knowing it was still up to him to get them out.

Not quite managing to keep himself from trembling slightly from the shock of what had just happened and the pain of his own bites, the elder twin looked at his brother, sprawled on the floor where he’d fallen.  “Oh Elrohir, please wake up,” he whispered shakily. 

Disappointed but not surprised when Elrohir didn’t respond, Elladan shook himself, took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and carefully picked his brother up again.  He was going to get Elrohir to that tunnel and he wasn’t going to drop him! 

Pleased beyond belief when they reached the far wall without further incident, Elladan carefully set his burden on the ground and ran for the torch, rushing back and placing it near Elrohir to keep any stray rats from coming too close.  Then he tilted his head and looked up, trying to come up with some way to overcome his next obstacle—the climb up to the tunnel entrance.  He knew he could get himself up without problem, but how could he get Elrohir to the top?  Elves, even little ones, were very strong, but Elladan knew he couldn’t carry Elrohir on his shoulders—he needed at least one of his hands to climb.  Maybe he could use one hand to climb and could use the other to somehow pull Elrohir up…

The idea was doomed from the start.  The little elf first tried to grab the back of Elrohir’s tunic to pull him up, but abandoned that idea when the fabric started to rip.  Then he circled Elrohir with one arm and tried to carry him up, but he simply wasn’t strong enough to lift him off the ground with just one arm.  Finally, he took off his own tunic, tied it around Elrohir’s middle, and then climbed up about a foot and reached down, thinking maybe he could loop the makeshift sling over his shoulder and drag him up—instead Elladan lost his grip and ended up on top of his brother, once more banging his already-scraped knees and biting his tongue as his chin thunked against Elrohir’s back.

At that, the frustrated little elf lost his temper.  This situation was impossible!  Why couldn’t Elrohir just wake up and help him?  Anger was much easier to bear than despair, so Elladan allowed the emotion to engulf him, washing away his feeling of helplessness. 

“Get up and help!  Don’t just lie there!” he shouted and shook his twin.  “Stop being so lazy!  I’m…I’m in enough trouble because of you.  I disobeyed Ada!  And…and…what do you think they’d say if I went back without you?  Get up!” he screamed, relieved to find an outlet for the emotions he’d been suppressing for hours.

Seeing no reaction from Elrohir, though, Elladan shook him again harder, needing to communicate to his brother just how upset he was.  This was all Elrohir’s fault.  The stupid elf got himself lost and now he wouldn’t wake up!  But he had to wake up.  He couldn’t get him out otherwise and he couldn’t leave him.  “Wake up…wake up…wake up…” he shouted, the litany punctuated with violent shakes as the small elfling lost control. 

His frenzied motions, however, were too rough and after one particularly hard jolt, his grip slipped and Elrohir’s head smacked against the ground with dull ‘thunk.’  Sick shock broke through Elladan’s tantrum as he realized what he had just done.  He cried out, horrified, “No!  No…I didn’t mean to do that!”  Untangling his fingers from Elrohir’s tunic, he pulled back shaking. 

Crying in earnest now, Elladan pleaded, “I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  Please.  Please forgive me.  And…and…and please wake up.  You can yell at me if you want.  I promise.  You can even hit me...really…and I won’t get mad.  You can do anything you want.  But…just wake up.  Please!”

The heartfelt pleas went unanswered and Elladan at last crumpled in defeat beside his brother.  Time stopped as the little elf curled up on the hard rock, crying with the heartbroken realization that he just wasn’t going to be able to save his twin.  No amount of pleading and hoping could make him move.  No grownups could reach this place and he couldn’t pull Elrohir out by himself.  It was hopeless.  He wouldn’t leave his twin to die here alone, so they were both going to be trapped here forever.

But even in the darkest times one can sometimes find a ray of light.  Somehow, the depths of Elladan’s anguish twisted its way into his twin’s being and penetrated the shield that Elrohir had woven around him.  The younger twin had long ago given up hope for himself, but when he felt Elladan’s despair, he dragged himself far enough out of his shell to unconsciously reach out and lay a hand on his brother’s shoulder to comfort him.

Gasping at the contact, Elladan sat up and stared wide-eyed at his twin.  “Ro?” he breathed.

Elrohir’s hand slid to the ground and he made no more signs of awakening, but it had been enough for Elladan.  That small sign reminded him that Elrohir was still alive and would be counting on him to get them out.  Fortified by that thought as well as unknowingly by the twins’ bond that was subtly strengthened by Elrohir’s loosened barrier, Elladan was amazed to find a new sense of purpose filling him.

Sniffing, he wiped the tears off his face, leaving grey streaks from his grimy hands and then drew in a cleansing breath, disgusted with himself for giving in to despair.  All wasn’t lost.  Maybe he couldn’t get Elrohir out alone, but his father could fix anything.  He would know how to help them.

Elladan knew he’d have to go back alone, but even having decided that, he couldn’t make himself leave right away.  Maybe Elrohir was completely unconscious, but maybe he wasn’t.  He couldn’t leave him without at least trying to explain why he had to leave.  Lying down next to his twin, he hugged him close while he considered what to say.

Finally, he tucked Elrohir’s head onto his shoulder and confessed in a whisper, “I have to go, Ro.”  He smoothed back brother’s hair and breathed deeply before continuing, “I can’t get you out by myself, so I have to find help.  Please don’t be scared, though.  I’m leaving the torch for you and I won’t be long—I promise.  So you just rest for awhile and…and I’ll be back soon with help.”

He rocked his twin for awhile longer before releasing him and quietly pulling back.  Elladan stood up, ready to climb, but when he looked back, he stopped.  He just couldn’t make himself go.  Elrohir looked so alone lying there on the rocks, and his twin’s heart ached to think of abandoning him.  He fell back to his knees, ignoring the sting of his scraped knees rubbing the rocks, and patted Elrohir on the shoulder.  Then, seeing his tunic still tied around Elrohir’s waist, he loosened it and pushed it under his twin’s head as a pillow.  It wasn’t much, but it made him feel better to be able to do something to make Elrohir more comfortable. 

Starting to turn away again, he was inspired by yet one more thing that he could do and plunked down on the ground to pull off his remaining shoe.  He slipped it onto Elrohir’s bare foot, not thinking that it would make so much more sense for him to take both shoes—after all, he would be the one walking—but it made him feel that Elrohir was somehow more protected with shoes, so he willingly gave his own up.  Finally, realizing there was nothing more to do, he squeezed his twin’s shoulder and then quickly started to climb, knowing he had to leave now before the need to stay and protect his twin once again trapped him.

He made the climb up the wall easily with the torchlight still guiding him, but once he entered the tunnel, he had to feel his way slowly in the pitch dark.  It took so much longer this way, but finally Elladan saw a gleam ahead and the distinct silhouette of his father sitting in the entryway. 

He had expected to feel relief when he finally reached his parents, but instead, knowing that safety was just ahead for him hit him like an arrow.  Oh…how could he have left Elrohir behind, defenseless?  A picture of his twin lying helpless in the dark overwhelmed Elladan and he shuddered with unwanted emotions.  Fear for his twin’s safety, an overlying shame at his inability to save Elrohir, and even worry about his father’s anger washed over Elladan so instead of rushing forward, he stopped and pressed himself into the shadows, uncertain what he should do next. 

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The lord and lady of Rivendell had been waiting near the tunnel entrance for what felt to be an eternity when a small sound alerted them of something in the tunnel.  Elrond, seated in the entryway, whipped his head around, desperately hoping to see two little boys making their way forward.  The sight that met his eyes wasn’t one to bring joy, however.  Peering into the darkness, the elven lord could make out only one small shape, and instead of making its way to him, it was hunched over in the tunnel, unmoving.  

Despair clutched at his chest as he feared the worst, but Elrond squelched it before his eyes turned to Celebrian.  Her fear was tangible as she looked at him, wordlessly begging him to perform a miracle and return their children to her.  He had to be strong for both of them.  After a reassuring smile for her, he turned back and focused on helping the son that was just out of reach. 

Knowing who it was hiding in the tunnel, he reached out a hand, calling softly, “Elladan, child, come forward.”

He could just make out the little elf shaking his head and scrunching down even lower.

Guessing at part of the source of Elladan’s anxiety, he tried again, “I am not angry little one.  Please, come out to us.”

Elladan looked up.  His father truly didn’t sound angry, but he didn’t yet know that Elladan had left his twin behind.  Then his mother’s silhouette joined his father’s in the opening and she added her entreaties to her husband’s.

“Elladan, please come here.  We were worried about you.”

Elladan scrunched his eyes closed with a little wince of pain.  Would they still be worried for him once they knew he’d found Elrohir but then abandoned him?  Would their faces show their disappointment in him?  It was enough to make Elladan want to scurry back into the darkness and hide his shame.  Still, if there was to be any hope of rescuing Elrohir, Elladan knew he’d have to face his parents and confess his failure, so instead of fleeing, he opened his eyes and slowly crawled the rest of the way toward the light and his parents.

He was pulled the last few feet by his mother, who ignored the filthy state of her child and wrapped him in a huge hug before passing him to his father while she looked back down the tunnel, waiting for her youngest to appear.  When it became only too clear that Elrohir wouldn’t be following, she swallowed her disappointment and turned to Elladan, now safely buried in his father’s loving arms.

“Elladan, did you find any sign of your brother?” Celebrian asked gently, while stroking the back of his head.

He couldn’t answer.  The comfort of his father’s grip and the sound of her loving voice made him almost choke with shame.  He didn’t deserve to feel so loved when he’d failed to protect his twin. 

“Baby, you have to talk to us,” Celebrian said,  “Please…tell us what happened.”

When the small child still didn’t respond, Elrond, cupped his son’s chin in his hand to force him to look up and said quietly, “You must tell us what you saw, Elladan.  If there was any indication that your brother is back there, we need to know.  Please.”

Elladan’s eyes met his father’s and then slipped to his mother’s.  Both parents were obviously worried about Elrohir, but just as obviously they were concerned for him.  Tears welled up and then slipped down his filthy face as he gathered the courage to speak.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

He missed the exchange of looks that his parents shared when he once more buried his head in his father’s chest. 

Biting back his own fears, Elrond asked gently, “For what, son?”

But Elladan didn’t answer.  Instead, he began to cry like he hadn’t in years and wailed, “I’m soorryyy.”

Fighting back her own tears as she tried to decipher her son’s unprecedented behavior and asked as lovingly as possible, “Elladan, what are you sorry for?”

Elladan once again didn’t answer.  His sobs choked him as he imagined telling her that he’d left Elrohir in that horrible place.

Wrapped in despair, he vaguely he heard his parents talking to each other, but didn’t even note that he was being carried until he felt himself being lowered down to waiting arms.

Oh no!  He was now back in the main cavern with all the others, blubbering like a wee elfling.  Feeling the presence of many more elves, Elladan fought to control himself, even in his misery not wanting to disgrace his parents.  He was, after all, a young lord and as such should not be seen crying like a baby.

Hiccupping slightly as he tried to control his breathing, Elladan angrily scrubbed the tears from his face and pulled away from the warrior who had taken him while Elrond and Celebrian dropped to the cave floor.

“Ada, I couldn’t help him.  I couldn’t help Elrohir,” Elladan admitted bravely, trying desperately to ignore everyone else’s stares.

“What do you mean?” his father asked gravely.

Celebrian knelt down next to him and took his arm, asking with a touch of alarm, “Baby, you must explain.  You found him?  Where is he?”

Elladan turned to her, but found he couldn’t look at her while he spoke.  Her hopeful yet fearful face would start him crying again.  Therefore, he turned to his father and took a shaky breath before he responded.

“He…uhm…he was in the cave.”

Elrond took in the ragged state of his son—the dirt, the scrapes and cuts, as well as something in his son’s face that told him he’d have to handle this interview carefully.  Drawing on millennia of practice at remaining calm, he even managed a little smile for his son as he said, “So you found him, but he did not return with you.  Was he hurt?”

Elladan, trapped in his father’s gaze, gave a quick nod.

No one could see the deep dread that took a hold of Elrond’s heart as his fears were acknowledged.  He kept them buried as he concentrated on getting the information he needed.  Continuing on with seeming effortless calm, he asked, “Could you tell what was wrong with him?”

This time the little head gave a shake “no” as Elladan’s eyes filled with sadness.

“Did he say anything?”

Another shake “no.”

Elrond wanted to reach out and hug his obviously hurting son, but saw that doing so would cause the little boy to lose his fragile grip on his emotions, so he continued on quietly, “Elladan, I know it was upsetting to see Elrohir hurt, but you must tell us what happened.  It will help us find a way to reach your brother.”

“But I couldn’t help him,” wailed Elladan, forgetting the audience of elves.  “I…I…”

Quickly, before Elladan could completely break down, Elrond turned his face stern and said in a hard voice, “Elladan, you are my scout.  Sent forth to gather details and report back.  Now you must give me that report calmly with as many details as you know so I may determine our path ahead.”

Gulping in surprise, the little elf composed himself and whispered, “I…I found him in a room, after the tunnel.  Not a real room but a cave room.  But he wouldn’t move.  He wouldn’t answer me.”

“He was asleep?”

Elladan had to force himself to keep his eyes on his father as he whispered, “no.”

“He was awake but could not talk?”

This time Elladan couldn’t look at his father and he shook his head ‘no.’

Not even Elrond’s legendary composure could prevent the momentary look of anguish that crossed his face as he thought about another, impossibly terrible option.  He opened his mouth to ask the next question, but closed it again and swallowed hard.  He couldn’t ask this little child if his twin was dead.  Neither of them would be able to face an affirmative answer.  He lowered his head, praying for strength as he tried to shove his jumbled emotions back under control.

Celebrian, locked in her own struggle for control, couldn’t help.  But Thranduil, who had been standing in the background as the drama unfolded before him, looked at the shaken Elrond and the visibly frightened Celebrian, understanding the terror these parents must be feeling for their missing child.  Seeing an opportunity to help, he knelt down until he was eye-level with the little boy and said gently, “Elladan, I understand that your brother is hurt.  That must have scared you.” 

The elven king allowed himself a quiet smile when Elladan’s head whipped around to stare at him and then reluctantly nodded.  Keeping his voice low, Thranduil said, “I would have been scared, too, if it was my brother.  I don’t like seeing ones I love hurt.  I remember once when I was little, my brother fell down and scraped himself up rather badly.  Do you think Elrohir might have fallen?  Did he have some scratches, perhaps?” 

Finding it easier to answer someone who he wasn’t afraid of disappointing, Elladan whispered, “Aye.”

“But surely you know of your father’s skills.  A few scratches are no match for Middle Earth’s best healer.”

That comment even brought a fleeting smile to the boy’s face and he stood a little taller as he nodded.

Thranduil picked his next words carefully as he continued.  “But maybe there was something else that he needs to fix, too.  I imagine it might have been a mite stuffy in that old cave with stale air.  Did you notice…was Elrohir having any trouble breathing?”

Thranduil kept his face impassive, but held his breath as he waited for the answer.

He let it out slowly as Elladan shook his head firmly and said, “No.  He was breathing fine.  The air was stinky but it wasn’t stuffy.”

A choked off sound pulled Elladan’s attention back to his father and he asked him questioningly “Ada?”

Elrond send a wordless look of thanks to Thranduil for finding the answer to the question he couldn’t ask—Elrohir was breathing.  He was alive.  Then he finally gave into his need to hold Elladan and scooped him up, squeezing him and burying his face in the dark hair of his little son.  Oh, how he wished he had both his little boys safe in his arms.

When he was sure his voice would be steady, Elrond pulled back and took up questioning again.

“You say Elrohir was not awake, but not asleep.  Explain.”

Elladan shrugged helplessly as he tried to articulate his twin’s condition.  “His eyes were closed, but it wasn’t like sometimes when elves get hurt and they sleep with their eyes closed.  Elrohir seemed…well, like he was far away…inside I mean.  And he wouldn’t answer, even when I shouted at him.  I can’t explain it, Ada.  It feels different.  Ro…well, it was like…he isn’t all the way there.  I mean…he is there, but part of him isn’t.  I mean…oh!” Elladan broke off in frustration.  He didn’t know himself what he meant, so he certainly couldn’t explain it.

Elrond, as a healer, tried to understand what it was that Elladan was saying.  Perhaps Elrohir had suffered some sort of trauma.  Perhaps he was in shock.  Needing more information, Elrond continued, “Is that why you came back without him?  He was hurt and you could not get him to awaken?”

Elladan dropped his head and silent tears once again welled up in his eyes as he whispered in shame, “I didn’t want to leave him, Ada.  I tried to make him come—to wake him up.  Then when he wouldn’t, I tried to carry him.  I did.  But I…I…I dropped him.”  The voice fell to almost nothing at the admission.

Knowing it was time for her to step in, Celebrian took his hand and squeezed it gently.

“I know Elrohir will be glad you tried.  I’m sure you did the best you could, sweetling, and we are proud of you.”  Then, hoping to get more details, she asked, “Can you describe the place where you found him?”

Elladan, finally regaining some of his composure, proceeded to tell his parents about the tunnel which ended in a sunken chamber and how he’d had to squeeze through some very tight passages on the way to and from the chamber.

Elrond sighed.  He had been hoping that Elrohir would have been in a more accessible spot where Elladan could tie a rope around his brother and they could pull him out.  But that wouldn’t work if Elrohir would have to be pulled up a steep drop.  It was too easy for something to go wrong and a fall could seriously injure him.

While the adults began to discuss different rescue options, Elladan beginning to get restless.  He waited for awhile, listening carefully as ideas were considered and rejected, but finally he couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted, “Ada, I have to go back.  I told Elrohir I would come get help, but I’ve been gone a long time.  I have to get back now.  The torch will burn out soon and then the rats won’t be scared anymore.”

“Rats!?”

Elladan didn’t know which of the many warriors gathered in the cavern spoke, but he addressed his parents as he explained, “There were lots.  All over the place.  And they were biting him.  So I have to get back before they hurt him more.”

A choked sound distracted Elladan for a moment and he glanced at Belmandren, who seemed stricken by this latest news.  Elladan didn’t have time to even hate him right now, though.  After scowling at him, he pushed him out of his mind and turned back to his father, urging, “Ada, they will bite him again when the light goes away.  I have to go back now.  You see that, right?”

The thought of his youngest child lying in the dark being bitten by rats hurt more than any wound he’d received in battle, but Elrond wasn’t willing to let his other son face similar perils.  “I will not have you go back,” he said grimly.  “What if you were hurt as well?  We could not go after you.”

Elladan looked at his father in disbelief.  “You want me to just leave Elrohir there?  Alone?  No!”

He stood looking at Elrond in shock, no sign of despair remaining as incredulity filled Elladan.  “I can’t just stay here while he’s trapped.  I told him I would come back and I will!”

“Elladan,” cautioned Celebrian.

The little boy whipped around, addressing her with equal vehemence, “Ammë, I have to go back.  I can’t leave him there alone.  He needs me!”

“I understand, dear, but it’s too dangerous,” Celebrian shook her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she empathized with Elladan, feeling his anguish but not accepting further risk to him.

Elladan wasn’t content with being understood, however.  He was going to return to his brother.  Turning his back on his parents, he started back up the rock but was pulled down by Elrond, who was beginning to lose his patience.  

“You are not going anywhere,” warned Elrond.

“Yes I am!” shouted Elladan.  “I have to!”

-------------------

“I could go with him.”

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the clear, young voice that cut through Elladan’s shouts.  Finding its source, they all stared at the blond child who suddenly found himself the center of attention. 

A little uncomfortable with everyone’s eyes on him, Legolas nevertheless stood his ground and added, “If Elladan can make it, I could too.  And with me to help him, we could get Elrohir out.”

Thranduil glanced at his wife and shook his head, saying, “Absolutely not.  Lord Elrond will not even permit Elladan to go back.  It is too dangerous.”

Honestly, Legolas would have loved to shout and fuss like Elladan had—Elrohir was his friend and the thought of him being stuck in some dark cave alone made him angry—but the young prince knew from experience that he’d get farther with his parents if he remained calm, so as diplomatically as he could, he said, “Elrohir is my friend and you have taught me that I should always help friends.  You said we shouldn’t count the cost to ourselves when others are in need.  So should I not go to him now, since his need is undeniable?”

The elven king allowed a scowl of his own to flit across his face when he heard his son neatly fling one of his own lessons back at him.  But before he could become truly annoyed, he reconsidered and allowed a sense of pride to flow through him at his young son’s careful, logical argument and his obvious willingness to take a risk in order to help his friend.  His little one would make a exceptional leader one day, he decided, barely keeping a smile off his face.

Before the proud father could respond to Legolas, however, Elrond cut in very formally, “Thank you, Prince Legolas, for your brave offer, but I must agree with your father.  We cannot risk you children.  We will find another way.”

Legolas looked at Elrond and then turned hopeful eyes back to his father—he was fairly certain that his father had been ready to capitulate.  He was carefully planning his next words when Elladan, who could not remain calm in the face of his twin’s need, erupted again.  Eyes flashing with anger, he shouted, “No!  You don’t understand!  He’s scared, Ada.  He feels different, but I can still tell that he is scared.  He is hurt and he doesn’t want to be alone.  I have to go back!  Now!”

Celebrian’s tears finally overflowed at the thought of her little boy, hurt and scared in the dark cave, surrounded by rats.  She feared for him and she wanted to send someone, anyone back for him, even if it was Elladan.  But another, equal part of her also feared what might happen to Elladan if they allowed him to go where none of them could follow.  She turned to her husband, hoping he might have some other answer.

Feeling as never before the unending burden of leadership, Elrond wiped his face with his hand and struggled to think of an answer.  How could he save Elrohir without endangering other children?  Oh, how could he be expected to make a good decision when he was nearly ill with worry?

A hand on his shoulder caused him to turn and he looked into the eyes of his fellow ruler.  Thranduil’s eyes showed deep understanding of the weight placed on Elrond’s shoulders and the elven lord smiled faintly, grateful for the unspoken support.  What Thranduil said, however, surprised him.

“We should let them go.”

When Elrond, shocked, said nothing, Thranduil continued, “We can give them firm guidelines on what they may and may not attempt so they will be as safe as possible.  They are correct, you know.  It is Elrohir’s best hope.”

Elrond looked at him for just a moment longer, seeing that Thranduil was indeed serious, and then turned to his wife.  Her face told him her answer—yes, with Legolas to accompany Elladan, she thought it was worth the risk.

Grateful to have a way ahead, the elven lord nodded grimly and turned to the little boys, now standing next to each other.  Making himself look as stern as possible, he said, “Very well.  You two may go, but you will listen to what we tell you and you will swear to obey, understood?”

The two eager small elves readily agreed.  They were going to save Elrohir!