Elrohir let out a loud chuckle as he watched the screaming maiden run through the gardens. A moment later, something collided into him, almost knocking him over.

"Elbereth!" Elrohir cried, taking a few steps back to appraise the situation.

Elladan joined them, grinning in a way not seen since the Peredhil terrors had wrecked youthly havoc on Imladris.

"Sweet Valar," Elrohir said again, the corners of his lips turning upwards.

"Hullo, Roh!" Legolas said, a bright smile on his face. He took a step closer to Elrohir, and let out a peal of laughter when Elrohir inched away from his mud-splattered self.

"What did you do?" Elrohir said, turning to Elladan.

"'Twas him!" Elladan said, pointing at Legolas in mock horror.

Elrohir stared at Legolas, torn between admiration and bewilderment. He was covered from head to toe in mud and Valar knew what else, and had also run through a barn full of chickens by the look of it.

"Dare I ask?" Elrohir said.

"Something involving many chickens, a few goats, and a good serving of Ada's private store of feywine. And, not forgetting, of course, a few good sacks of Glorfindel's prized fertiliser."

"I did not know the great Balrog-slayer was a gardener!" Legolas said, laughing. "Where is he?"

"He is visiting his daughter and wife in Lorién," Elladan said as Elrohir tried to take in the information without laughing too hard.

"He has a wife and a daughter?" Legolas said. "I never knew that!"

"You did not wait for me?" Elrohir said, his awe turning to ire.

Legolas shrugged. "You were asleep."

"And pray tell why was I asleep?"

Legolas had the grace to blush as he pretended not to hear what Elrohir said. Elrohir had spent most of the last night convincing a livid head chef that he should continue in the employ of Elrond's household after a certain Elfling had switched his baking soda and plain flour stores, resulting in a minor explosion in the ovens, destroying a prized pastry that had taken the better part of a week to prepare. Eressar prided himself on his culinary skills, and had been furious at having to settle for serving substandard fare for supper while the servant girls had to be calmed down and the mess cleaned up.

"Your selective deafness acting up again?" Elladan said, trying to hide his grin from Legolas.

"Something tells me a bath is in order," Elrohir said, staring down at Legolas with a raised eyebrow.

Legolas giggled and was about to run off when Elrohir grabbed him firmly by the arm.

"I can hardly see your face," Elrohir said, leading him back to the house.

He reached out and wiped some mud off Legolas's face, drawing a squeal of protest.

"All the better for me to disguise myself with!" Legolas said.

"I believe that is enough for today, tithen pen -- little one --. There is only so much Imladris can take without me having to fight off those who wish to flay you alive!"

Legolas muttered and grumbled his way back indoors, while Elladan watched them depart with a smirk on his face. Two weeks had gone by since Legolas had tried to run away. True to their words, Elrohir had not tried to pry into Legolas's identity, and the little one had not attempted to run away again. Instead, a deep friendship had formed between the trio. It surprised him that Elrohir had accepted Legolas's friendship and admiration without a second thought, but that did not stop his heart from bursting with happiness -- Elrohir was beginning to smile again. Just the day before Elrohir had sat up with him late into the night after Legolas had fallen asleep and talked of inconsequential matters -- just as they were wont to do in better times.

Another grin spread itself across Elladan's face as Elrohir's voice floated back up to him.

"No, Lass. There will be no more going out for you today. The clouds are closing in, and the storm will hit the valley with great force. I will not risk you going out there and incurring more damage!"

*

Elrohir opened the door and embraced Elrond.

"Ada! It is good to have you back."

A thunderclap sounded.

"How are you, Elrohir?" Elrond said, his smile wider than it had been in years when he saw that Elrohir's expression was no longer bitter and angry.

"Worn out trying to prevent Lass from destroying Imladris!"

"You are trying to stop him?" Elrond said. Elrohir's mischief-making was legendary among Imladris's once much-beleaguered citizens.

"I fear he might be more than my match."

Elrond's face turned a shade more sombre.

"It is about him that we must speak of."

A frown worked its way to Elrohir's face as he felt something about to be sprung on him.

"What about?" he said, some of his wariness returning.

"We need to find his family," Elrond said.

Elrohir's chin stuck out, and Elrond saw that he was in for a struggle. Taking Elrohir's hand, he led him into the room and shut the door behind them.

"Elrohir --"

"I promised him that we would not do that, Ada!"

"His family would be worried!"

"But he does not want to go back to them! Why would any child wish for that unless there was nothing to go back for?"

"Perhaps his mind has been clouded by loss."

"Why do you say so? He seems fine to me!"

"Does he?"

"Yes! Just today --"

"What is he like at night?"

Elrohir bit back his retort as he saw Elrond's reason.

"He --"

"Are there still nightmares?" Elrond said, his tone still calm.

"Yes." Elrohir's gaze dropped. Why had his father have to always make so much sense? "Just last night he came to my chambers, afraid, and I had to let him sleep with me. I had left him in his room, but he still fears being alone."

Elrond let out a long sigh.

"Why, Ada? I thought he was healed, after all his daytime antics!"

"He is rancorous to make up for the emptiness in his heart. It is why we must return him to his family soonest."

"And if he refuses to return?"

"We need to encourage him to grieve, Elrohir. 'Tis only natural for children to mourn the loss of a parent."

The cold feeling in Elrohir's stomach refused to abate, especially when he knew that Elrond was referring to himself.

"There is something I have been wanting to give you, Elrohir," Elrond said.

Elrohir's frozen watchfulness did not deter him, and Elrond reached out to press a pendant into Elrohir's palm.

"Ada!" Elrohir cried when he saw what it was.

Elrond's eyes were glistening as he regarded his younger son. "I gave it to your Naneth the day you and Elladan were begotten. She left it behind when she sailed West, and told me she wished for you to have it."

"Why?"

"Because she loves you, Elrohir."

"But I was the one!"

Elrond continued to gaze at him, waiting for the long-overdue outburst.

"I told Nana it was safe to use the Pass!"

Everything fell into place for Elrond. Elrohir's behaviour: his anger, his withdrawal from his family; all of it made sense in the light of his declaration. Celebrían had taken the High Pass en route to her mother's home in Lorién in spite of the many warnings they had received about Orc activity, and none of them had been able to understand why -- until now.

Elrond wrapped Elrohir up in his arms, and Elrohir fell into it, letting himself be touched by the love of his father again. And Valar, did he miss allowing another's concern and love warm him, especially when the feelings were so unconditional.

"She spoke to me of her fears for you, Elrohir. She did not want you to harbour your hatred and your guilt."

The pendant seemed to be burning in Elrohir's hand, and he clutched at it, worried that it would disappear if he did not. Elrohir was the closest of the three to Celebrían, and she had always doted on him, for his strong, passionate character appealed to her more gentle and sedate one.

"I could not even bring myself to speak to her ere she left, Ada! I did not want her to go alone, but I dared not tell her I wished to go with her!"

"It was her choice not to have any of us go with her, Elrohir. Much remains in Arda for us to stay for. She believed your eyes had not yet been brightened by the joys of this world, and it is for that I stayed behind with my children, to show them to love their home."

"But Ada, it was I --"

"It was never your fault, Elrohir, even if you had told her to use the Pass."

"But if I had not told her --"

"Going by your reasoning, I should have sent Imladris's entire Guard with her, you, Arwen or Elladan wherever you go! We try to protect those we love, and grieve, mourn, cry if we fail, but never should we turn the anger and hate inwards and direct it towards ourselves."

"I am sorry, Ada."

"There is nothing wrong in caring for someone and wishing them to be safe. You should not fight your concern for Lass. He needs you, Elrohir, just like you need him. The minds of the Valar work in strange ways that we can only guess at. It is all but a possible path that has been taken."

Elrohir gave a small smile. "You speak in riddles again, Ada."

"It is because I do not know myself, ion. It is true that I have tried to gather clues of his identity by looking into his future, but all I have seen are fleeting, blurred images that I cannot read. One speaks of his birthright, another of his doom. All are tied to your fate."

"It matters not who he is, Ada. All I want to do is to help him."

"You have."

"Then will you promise me not to seek out his family until he consents to it?"

"If you believe it will help him, yes."

"I do not know the answer."

"Neither do I."

*****
Sindarin Translations:
Naneth -- Mother
Nana -- Mama/mummy
Ion -- son

A/N: Elrohir's finally come clean on what has been eating at him, and also stopped pretending that he still cares for others. A lot of unresolved issues with Legolas remain, though. That was a great chapter to write, especially when the characters are writing themselves, and thanks for all the encouragement thus far.