Beta: Radbooks

Rating: PG for some battle scenes and angst. Some later chapters might warrant a higher rating.

Disclaimers: I don't own any of Tolkien's characters, settings, or plots. I just like to play in his sandbox. I also make no money off of any of this.

Summary: If you had the chance to travel back into your past and prevent a tragedy, to save a loved one, would you do it? What else would change as a result? Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir are given that chance. What will they change, and how will that affect the history of Middle-earth?

Chapter Nine

After wandering his home for several hours, thinking about the sparring matches he had witnessed between Elrohir and Celeborn and Elladan and Glorfindel, Haldir was more convinced than ever that there was something very odd happening with the twins. Even as skilled as they were with swords, they should not have been able to defeat Celeborn and Glorfindel. He thought back to the move that Elladan had used in his match against Glorfindel. It was one he had never seen anyone use before, and did not know where Elladan would have learned it. And Elrohir had said that he had taken Celeborn by surprise in their match, or he may well have lost. It was likely that he had also used a move that Celeborn had never seen and would not have known to counter.

Haldir's brow furrowed as he thought about the reactions of Celeborn and Glorfindel to the unexpected end of the matches. Glorfindel had been surprised by the move, and stepped back from Elladan as if he expected Elladan to press the attack even after he had disarmed his opponent. No, that wasn't quite right, Haldir mused. Glorfindel had said that he had seen Elladan in the midst of a battle rage and that he had almost attacked the elder elf as if he were the enemy. From his reaction, it would seem that he no longer fully trusted Elladan. But would one moment in the heat of battle be enough to destroy a trust that had developed over many centuries? There had to be something else that he was unaware of, something else that Glorfindel knew about Elladan.

Celeborn had not reacted so strongly to his defeat. He had laughed and congratulated Elrohir on his match before leaving. Did this mean that Glorfindel knew something Celeborn did not, or the other way around? Of course, Celeborn was Elladan and Elrohir's grandfather. It would take a lot for him to lose trust in them. But then again, he had never thought that Glorfindel would lose trust in the twins, either.

Haldir sighed at the thoughts swirling around in his head. He would never gain answers to his myriad questions if he did not seek out someone who could give him those answers. But whom should he approach? It was obvious to him that Glorfindel knew far more than he was telling, but trying to get answers out of the legendary balrog-slayer could often be an exercise in futility. Deciding that speaking to Celeborn would be the best choice, Haldir left the secluded glade he had found himself in and headed off to seek out his commander.

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Elrohir did not have any difficulty catching up with his brother after leaving the sparring field. Elladan had not gone far, simply veering off the main path and down a small incline to take a seat on a fallen log near a small stream. He did not look up as Elrohir joined him on the log. They sat in silence for a long time before Elrohir spoke.

"Haldir told me how your match with Glorfindel ended." Elrohir let the words hang between them, not following them up with an invitation to talk. Elladan would speak only when and if he chose.

Staring at the shallow stream as it gurgled over the rocks and pebbles in its path, Elladan sighed deeply. Turning slightly to meet his brother's gaze, he shook his head sadly. "Glorfindel does not trust me any longer. I believe he actually thought I would hurt him today. How could he believe that either of us would do such a thing?"

His expression serious, Elrohir attempted to ease Elladan's distress. "Glorfindel has done remarkably well, I think. This could hardly be an easy thing for him."

Elladan's eyebrows rose toward his hairline as he stared at his brother in disbelief. "Not easy for him? I think that this whole situation is much harder for us."

Waving his hand slightly to acknowledge his brother's point, Elrohir continued. "True. However, you should consider what he must think about all of this. We show up in the library and he overhears us speaking of things that have not yet happened as if they were history. I think we should consider ourselves lucky that he did not immediately turn us over to Ada and leave the whole mess in his lap. We did not help his trust in us when we threatened to do whatever we must in order to save Naneth."

"You mean when I threatened him," Elladan interrupted, a chagrined expression on his face.

Tilting his head toward his brother, Elrohir continued. "You must admit that he did not exactly see us at our best those first few days. We were far too concerned with saving Nana to take the time to reassure him that we were not a threat to Imladris or our family. Then when we found the orcs…" His voice trailed off as he remembered that day not so long ago. "It was a side of us that he had never seen before, and it surely made him question even more how much we had changed. And through all of this, he has had to keep a secret of rather monumental proportions."

Elladan nodded and looked back at the stream. "You do have a point. How do we regain his trust?"

"We must spend more time with him, much as he may dread the thought." A chuckle escaped Elladan at Elrohir's comment. "Once he learns more of us and sees what has changed and what has not, he should become more comfortable with us."

Tilting his head and regarding his brother once more, Elladan asked, "Do you truly think that will work?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Elrohir replied, "We will not know if we do not try." Standing up, he gestured for Elladan to join him. "Now come. Let us go find Glorfindel and become as his shadow."

Shaking his head a little ruefully, Elladan also stood. "We want him to trust us again, 'Ro, not kill us. We may not wish to shadow him that closely."

Rolling his eyes at his brother, Elrohir turned and started back up the bank. Stopping briefly, he looked back over his shoulder at his twin. "Would you like to join me?"

Mumbling under his breath about this not being such a good idea, Elladan hurried to catch up to his brother as they sought out Glorfindel.

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Haldir found his lord in his office, going over a stack of papers. That was one aspect of Celeborn's duties that he certainly would not wish for himself. Standing in the doorway of the office, Haldir waited until Celeborn finished what he was doing and looked up to acknowledge him. Gesturing for Haldir to join him in the room, Celeborn put his papers aside and gave the March Warden his full attention.

Sensing Haldir's unease, Celeborn gestured for him to sit. "Is there something you wish to discuss with me? This is obviously not a formal report as you have not been on patrol for several weeks."

Nodding, Haldir began speaking. "I do have something I wish to discuss. It concerns Elladan and Elrohir."

Closing his eyes briefly and giving a long-suffering sigh, Celeborn asked, "What have they done now?"

"Nothing," Haldir hastened to assure him. He did not wish to get the twins into trouble when they had done nothing. "They have done nothing to me, nor any other residents of the wood. That is not what I wished to discuss. Or rather, that is only part of what I wished to discuss."

Celeborn's brow furrowed in confusion. "You wish to discuss that they have done nothing?"

"Yes, and no," Haldir said hesitantly. He was unsure how to say what he wished.

"Please speak plainly," Celeborn said. "I do not have the time for word games."

"Of course," Haldir said, bowing his head in deference. "I was observing your sparring match earlier with Elrohir and was quite surprised that he was able to defeat you."

"He is a skilled warrior," Celeborn answered, still quite confused as to where this conversation was heading. "He and his brother are quite capable of defeating their opponents on the field."

"True, but when those opponents are you and Glorfindel?" Haldir asked. "Did you not notice that their fighting styles have changed since last you sparred with them? I was watching, and they seemed much more skilled than last I witnessed."

"They have been fighting to defend their realm for a full century since last you and I saw them, Haldir. Would it not make sense that they have grown in their abilities?"

Haldir frowned, wondering if Celeborn were being deliberately obtuse. "Very well, you are correct that you and I have not seen them fight in many years and it could be this that allowed Elrohir to take you by surprise and defeat you. But Glorfindel has been with them, training them and fighting alongside them. He would not have been taken off guard by either of them, would he?" Haldir proceeded to describe what he had seen of Elladan and Glorfindel's match, as Celeborn had been too involved with his own match to see it. He made sure to tell him about the comments Glorfindel had made following the match.

"Glorfindel flinched?" Celeborn asked in amazement. "In all my life I have never seen such a thing. He actually stepped back from Elladan?"

"Yes, my lord." Haldir shook his head as he remembered his conversation with Celebrían. "Your grandsons have not seemed as themselves on this visit. I have noticed it, your daughter has noticed it, and so, it would seem, has Glorfindel."

Celeborn thought for a long moment before speaking again. "The changes in them have been apparent for anyone who cares to look. I cannot say that I understand the extent of the changes, though Galadriel seems to understand more. My grandsons, as you know, have recently begun having visions. These visions are not like those of my lady wife or those of their father. As it has been explained to me, they do not simply see events occur, they feel as if they have lived them. Though I was told no details, I know that one of these visions involved the capture and torment of my daughter. In this vision, it was they who rescued her from the orc den. Tell me, Haldir, how do you think they would have reacted upon seeing their mother in such pain?" He fell silent for a moment, picturing the scene, before shaking his head to drive away the thought of his daughter in such a situation.

Haldir held silent, knowing how difficult it must be for Celeborn to even discuss such an event, whether or not it had actually happened.

"And from what I have been told, they have had visions of events several centuries in the future. Whether or not it happened in actuality, my grandsons have experienced centuries of a life we have not. Does it not make sense that they would be changed by these experiences?"

Haldir nodded slowly. "Yes, my lord, I understand the reasons for the changes we have seen in them. Celebrían is worried for them, and I had hoped there was something we could do to help them return to the ellyn that we know."

A sigh escaped Celeborn as he thought about his grandsons. "All that we can do is accept them as they are, changes and all. We cannot try to force them to become people they no longer are."

Closing his eyes, Haldir lowered his head. He had hoped for a different answer, one that would help bring back the playful ellyn they all knew. Though he often complained about being the victim of their more playful side, he had never realized just how much he would miss seeing them taking such joy in life until he had seen them on this visit. But how much worse would it be for their family, Lady Celebrían, Lady Galadriel and the elf in front of him, Lord Celeborn? "You are correct, of course," Haldir said, opening his eyes and standing, hoping to leave without causing his lord any further pain caused by speculating over the changes in his grandsons. "I merely miss seeing the more playful aspects of their personalities."

Celeborn stood as well. "I think that is something we have all missed this visit, though you are the last I would have expected to voice such a sentiment." A raised eyebrow brought a faint flush to Haldir's face.

"I do not miss their pranks, but I do miss hearing genuine laughter from them," Haldir explained.

A sober look chased away the mirth on Celeborn's face. "As have we all."

With that, Haldir bowed to his lord, then turned and left the office. Celeborn stared after him for a long moment before leaving to seek out his wife.

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Glorfindel had retreated to his chambers upon leaving the sparring field, though he did not like to think of it as a retreat. He merely had things to consider and did not wish for company. Reclining on his bed with a book in hand, he was not even seeing the words before him. His mind was back on his match with Elladan. Though he had known that the twins were great warriors, skilled with swords, he had not fully realized how the extra few centuries of practice had affected their abilities. They were very good, he had to admit, better than most elves, in his experience. It had taken him quite by surprise when Elladan had used a move he had never seen, and he had been shocked at the thought that Elladan had disarmed him. But even with that shock, he should never have backed away from the younger elf. The look of hurt that had flashed across Elladan's face when he had learned that Glorfindel did not trust him enough to stop his sword in time would be forever burned into Glorfindel's memory.

Had he overreacted? Yes, during that battle in the cave, he had thought that Elladan would engage him in battle, trying to kill him as he had all of the orcs within. But that was a case of battle lust getting the better of him. On the practice field, Elladan was always very controlled and measured in his actions. As one of his trainers, Glorfindel knew this better than any other. Elladan had always exercised the greatest degree of control over his movements. Never a stroke wasted or ill-thought out, Elladan had always been one of his best students. So why had he reacted as he had when Elladan had disarmed him?

Glorfindel thought back to that moment and tried to determine why he had reacted as he had. The surge of anger that he felt upon further reflection surprised him. Why should he have been angry that Elladan defeated him? It was rare, but it would hardly be the first time he had been defeated in a sparring match, and he was not so vain as to think that he was unbeatable. No, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was not the match that made him angry, but Elladan himself. But why should that be so? Elladan had done nothing against Glorfindel, or against any under Glorfindel's protection.

'Except to Elladan,' the thought drifted through his mind. It was such a surprising one that he felt he had to further explore it. As he delved deeper into his thoughts, he came to the surprising realization that he was angry at Elladan and Elrohir for replacing the twins of this time. In a way, he was grieving the disappearance of the Elladan and Elrohir he knew, and blaming the twins who were here now as if they had killed the others. Sitting up on his bed, he leaned his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. Was he truly thinking such irrational thoughts? It was not the fault of Elladan and Elrohir that they were here now. 'As far as you know,' that voice again interjected. Shaking his head to dislodge that annoying voice, he countered it as best he could. He had seen the depth of pain in the eyes of the 'current' twins. Though they had been greatly relieved to have the chance to save Celebrían, they were as confused as he was as to why they were here. It was clear to him that they wanted to return home, to the time they knew, and the lives they now led. The fear of irrevocably changing history had taken much of the joy they should have felt at the chance to re-live this part of their lives with their mother.

He knew that Elladan and Elrohir were not at fault, but he could not help grieving the loss of the twins that had been here such a short time ago. They had been much more light-hearted than those who had taken their places, and a brief wish that these had not appeared flitted through his mind. As quickly as that thought occurred, he knew he could not think that. If the 'new' twins, for lack of a better word, had not appeared when they had, then Celebrían would have been taken by orcs and have shortly ended up leaving these lands. At that point, the twins that he knew would have disappeared anyway, to be replaced by Dehlfalhen and Glamferaen, the twin warriors whose hearts and fëar were darkened by their desire to rid the world of orcs and glory in the kill. And the house of Elrond would have been lost for many years to their grief and pain. He could not have wished for that, no matter what.

When he thought about it, he would much rather be dealing with the twins who were here now. At least they had found their way back from such darkness, though it had left a permanent mark upon them. Now, if only he could bring himself to trust them again…

His musings were interrupted as the objects of his thoughts appeared in the doorway. Glorfindel sat up straight on his bed and placed his feet on the floor, looking warily between the two. They had apparently not taken the time to stop by their own rooms as they still wore the swords they had worn on the practice field. It was the serious expressions on their faces that made him regard them so warily. That look was never a good omen. "What may I do for you?" he asked.

Elladan glanced sideways at Elrohir and the younger twin shrugged, indicating that Elladan should be the one to speak. "We merely wish to speak with you," Elladan said. "About what happened on the practice field."

Glorfindel opened his mouth to speak, perhaps to apologize for the way he had treated Elladan, when the elder twin held up a hand to halt his words.

"Please, Glorfindel, let us say what we must before you speak." Glorfindel nodded, allowing them to say whatever it was that they had come to say. "We understand why you may not trust us as you once did. For you, it must be as if we are strangers who have yet to earn your trust." Glorfindel heard the pain in Elladan's voice as he spoke, though he was sure the younger elf was working to keep his voice even, giving away nothing. "But there has never been a time in our lives that we have not had your complete trust." A wry smile crossed Elladan's face. "Even when you were berating us for being idiots, or trying to convince us that the path we had chosen would eventually destroy us, you still trusted us. We do not like losing that trust."

Elrohir spoke up as Elladan fell silent, something Glorfindel had seen many times in his life, how they sometimes acted in concert as one. "We want to show you that we are still trustworthy," Elrohir said. "Though there have been changes, we are still the ellyn you have always known. You trained us how to hold our first swords, taught us how to fight, and as we grew, you became the captain whose orders we followed on numerous patrols."

"We are the same elflings you swore to protect from the moment you knew of our existence," Elladan continued smoothly. "The same ones you held on your knees and told stories to so long ago, the ones you played games with, and the ones who learned some of their best pranks from you and Erestor."

Elrohir's face lit with a grin as he thought over some of those pranks. "You have protected us throughout our lives, Glorfindel, from foul creatures like orcs, goblins and trolls. Even the occasional fearsome kitten." He could not help the laugh that escaped him at the memory.

Laughter burst from Elladan at the memory. "I had nearly forgotten that! Trust you to remember such a thing."

A smile crossed Glorfindel's face as well as he remembered the incident of which the twins spoke. They had been only ten summers, still small children, but already very good at finding trouble. He had entered the stable in order to tend his horse when he had heard two young voices conversing in a loud whisper.

"OW!"

"Hold him still, El. He won't hurt you if he can't move. Ouch!"

His curiosity roused, Glorfindel had followed the voices to an empty stall and peered over the edge to see two small elflings sitting on the floor and trying to hold a desperately squirming kitten still. A yowl escaped from the kitten, and Glorfindel rested his arms atop the stall. "What are you two doing to that poor kitten?"

They jumped and nearly released their hold on the kitten. When they looked up at him, Glorfindel could see many scratches on their faces, hands and arms. Elrond was not going to like that, he thought to himself. But if they were tormenting that kitten, the scratches were only their just punishment.

"He fell into a briar bush," Elladan said, trying to hold the kitten still. "They're stuck all over him, and we're trying to get them off, but he doesn't know that we're trying to help him."

"The briars are hurting him," Elrohir explained. "We can't just let him go until we get all of them out of his fur."

Realizing that their hearts were in the right places, and they were only attempting to help the kitten, Glorfindel entered the stall. "Would it help if I held him still while the two of you remove the briars?"

Two identical faces lit up as Glorfindel sat down between them and reached for the kitten. Elladan eagerly handed over the squirming bundle of fur. By the time the kitten was free of briars and deemed fit to release, all three of them had been covered in scratches. Glorfindel had found out just how difficult it was to hold a kitten that wanted so desperately to be free. Talking to the kitten had not helped, as it was too scared and hurting to be soothed. When he finally opened his hands and released the kitten, it had darted off as quickly as it could, taking refuge in whatever hiding place it could find.

Pulling himself back to the present time, Glorfindel glared at the laughing twins. "That was no ordinary kitten, if you will remember. It fought as ferociously as any minion of darkness."

"So that's why you named it Amlug," Elrohir gasped out between laughs. "I always thought 'dragon' was an odd name for that kitten. After that day, it had the sweetest temperament."

Elladan attempted to get his laughter under control. "I can still remember the look on Ada's face when you brought the two of us into the house and set about cleaning up all our scratches, as well as your own."

"He just shook his head and walked away, saying something about not wanting to know what had happened," Elrohir said, and all three of them started laughing again at the memory. It was quite some time before the three of them got their laughter under control again.

Elrohir finally straightened up. He and Elladan had taken seats in the room as they reminisced, and Elrohir had doubled over in his laughter. As he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, he smiled happily at the others. "I think I needed that." He shook his head, still chuckling to himself.

Glorfindel studied the twins and was pleased to see the ellyn he had always known, the ones who could take joy in the simplest things life had to offer and were not afraid to share that joy with those around them. He realized anew that these elves were not truly so different. The circumstances they had found themselves in had perhaps caused them to be more serious than they would ordinarily have been. Yes, there were differences, but they were not so great as to have made them strangers. He now felt quite guilty over the way he had been treating them. It seemed he had been adding to their burden without even realizing it.

"I apologize for the way I have treated you," he said abruptly, bringing the laughter to a halt as they sobered and stared at him. "I know you both far too well to imagine that either of you would ever lose control and hurt a sparring opponent. It was I who trained you, after all." He met the eyes of first one twin, then the other. "Forgive me for doubting you both. The changes in you are not so drastic as to have turned you into strangers. I simply needed to be reminded that you are still the same elflings that I have helped to raise. Despite the anger and pain I see in your eyes at times, I know that you would never do anything to intentionally hurt those you love. It is not in your natures."

Elladan nodded to him as Elrohir spoke up for them both. "There is nothing to forgive, Glorfindel. This situation has not been easy on you, as the only one who knew our secret, until Daernana found out, anyway. I do not think it has been easy for you to keep this secret from our parents, and I thank you for agreeing to do so. I readily admit that we did not make the best impression upon our arrival in our urgency to save Naneth from the orcs, and our behavior since then has been somewhat…erratic. But this situation has not been an easy one for us, either, and we have been struggling to regain our balance."

Elladan picked up where Elrohir left off. "It is no fault of yours if you did not entirely trust us, Glorfindel, but we truly do want to regain the trust you have always had in us. As our commander in Imladris' guard, you need to know what our capabilities are, what our level of fighting skill is now, what movements we may know that you are unaware of. Only then will you be able to trust us in battle, or on the sparring field. Would you be willing to join us on the sparring field and work with us until you know our full capabilities as you always have?"

Glorfindel nodded. That seemed the least he could do. "Would you care to start now?" he asked. He knew he had surprised the twins when they looked sideways at each other, then shrugged simultaneously.

"Now is as good a time as any," Elladan commented, and they stood as Glorfindel retrieved his sword.

When they returned to the practice field, they were pleased to see that they had it all to themselves. Glorfindel had the twins spar with each other first so he could watch their moves and see what it was that they had learned in the intervening centuries. As he watched, he had to admit to being greatly impressed by them. They moved as one being, ever anticipating the moves of the other and moving to counter them perfectly. There was a deadly grace apparent in their every move that came from the centuries they had spent in battles, ever watching each other's back.

Studying them intently, Glorfindel analyzed each move, determining their new level of skill. They demonstrated many moves he had not seen before, and he took careful note of them, knowing that he would ask to see them again later. They sparred for over an hour, never letting up their pace, staying perfectly synchronous in their movements. Neither seemed to have the advantage over the other, and Glorfindel knew that this was a demonstration for him, more then a real sparring match. Had it been a real match, they would have been working much harder on actually defeating the other.

Glorfindel was watching them closely enough to see a change in Elrohir’s expression, as it changed from the serious one the twins always wore on the field to the one that warned all that mischief of some sort was about to ensue. He was therefore unsurprised when a matching grin crossed Elladan’s face and they both put their swords aside as Elrohir lunged for Elladan’s midsection and they fell to the ground, wrestling like they had often done as elflings. He watched in great amusement as Elladan gained the upper hand, sitting astride his brother and pinning his hands to the ground. Elladan’s victory did not last long, however, as Elrohir wiggled one hand loose and quickly brought it up to tickle his older brother in the ribs. Elladan quickly let go of Elrohir to try to protect himself, and they were soon tickling each other and laughing uproariously. Glorfindel shook his head in amusement and walked over to stand over the two whom had collapsed back on the ground, lying on their backs and staring up at the sky, still chuckling.

“Are you two quite done?” he asked, a fond smile on his lips.

“I believe so,” Elladan said with a grin as he and Elrohir stared up at the golden-haired warrior standing over them. “I think we have had enough time on the practice field for the day. What do you think?” he directed his last question to his twin, glancing beside him.

Elrohir looked down at the grass stains on his and his brother’s clothing. “I believe we should return to our rooms and change our clothing. Naneth and Daernaneth might turn us away from the dinner table if we do not make ourselves more presentable.”

Looking down at his clothes, Elladan chuckled again. “You may have a point, little brother.”

Glorfindel extended a hand out to each of them, and as they grasped the offered hands, he pulled them easily to their feet. After they retrieved their swords, the three elves began walking slowly back to their rooms, with Glorfindel asking about the various moves he had noted.

That night, it escaped the notice of none that the twins and even Glorfindel seemed much more lighthearted than they had been on this journey. Their laughter actually reached their eyes, and they all seemed much more relaxed with each other. Galadriel nodded slightly to herself in satisfaction as she watched them. She was glad they had found some way to come to terms with each other and their new situations, without her having to take action of her own. If the wariness between the twins and Glorfindel had continued much longer, she had planned to step in and do what she could to help them regain the relationship they had always had. Knowing that the twins would not find their new lives here to be easy, knowing what they now knew, she wanted at least one steadfast friend by their side, and there was none better for that than Glorfindel.

Haldir and Celebrián exchanged relieved glances as they watched the twins sharing stories and laughing easily with each other and the others at the table. For once, they did not seem burdened by their visions, the shadows retreating from their eyes. Celebrián did not know if tomorrow might bring the shadows back to their eyes, but for this night, they were as she had always known them, and she relaxed with the knowledge that they were not lost or so changed as she might have thought.

The rest of their visit was quite pleasant for all concerned. Elladan and Elrohir remained on their better behavior, not pulling pranks on anyone, but being lighthearted and enough like their usual selves to ease the hearts and minds of those who had been concerned for them. They could often be found on the practice field, sparring with each other and working with Glorfindel.

Glorfindel had insisted on learning each of the moves they had learned and perfected over the years, though Elladan teasingly complained that he would never again be able to defeat Glorfindel in a match if they gave up all their secrets. A smile and a nod to continue the match were Glorfindel’s only responses. Celebrián spent part of each day with her sons, enjoying the time she could take with them. If a shadow occasionally passed through the eyes of one or the other, she would ignore it and it would soon pass, allowing the return of the son she had raised. She and her sons also spent a great deal of time with Galadriel and Celeborn, since that was the purpose of the trip in the first place. In this manner, the second half of their visit passed in a nearly idyllic manner.

Haldir had confided in Celebrián that he rather enjoyed this new, seemingly more mature side of her sons. Now that they were no longer so concerned for the well-being of the twins, he was quite pleased that they had not once tried to play a prank on him. He thought it showed that they were finally beginning to grow up. Celebrián had laughed and agreed that it was a nice respite, but not to count on this change being permanent.

Finally, it was the last night of their visit, and a great feast was held. The night air was filled with the voices, laughter and songs of joyous elves as they all enjoyed themselves late into the night. Away from the boisterous gathering, however, two elves knelt over the prone form of another.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Elrohir nervously asked Elladan as he glanced down at Haldir. The blond elf was deeply asleep, aided by a sleeping potion in his wine. Feeling that he was merely tired, the elf had made his excuses and left the party early to retire to his rooms. After allowing the sedative enough time to work, Elladan and Elrohir had quietly snuck away from the gathering and made their way to Haldir’s room.

“Of course we should be doing this,” Elladan retorted. “You have heard him, have you not? He thinks we have grown beyond things such as this.”

“And we cannot have that, now, can we?” Elrohir asked with a very wry expression on his face. “We could simply leave him to his sleep and return to the party.”

Elladan shook his head and reached for a bag containing their supplies. “No, you know very well that this is the perfect time for something such as this. He has completely let down his guard around us, and that is something he should know better than to do. It was far too easy to slip the herbs into his wine. Next time, he will not let his guard down so easily.”

“So this is a lesson to him?” Elrohir asked with a soft laugh. He was not sure that Elladan’s explanation made that much sense, but his brother had never had to work too hard to persuade him to go along with something like this. Holding out a hand to his brother for his share of the supplies, he grinned as they set about carrying out their plans. This would be quite the memorable prank.

When the twins returned to the party, they joined right back into the merrymaking, and few elves noticed that they had even been gone. It was quite late when they returned to their own rooms in search of some sleep before setting out the next morning.

Haldir missed the morning meal and remained absent as the preparations proceeded for the Imladris elves to depart. Elrohir glanced aside at his brother as they prepared their horses. He was getting concerned over Haldir’s absence.

“You did measure that sedative correctly, did you not?” he asked Elladan softly.

“Of course I did,” Elladan retorted just as softly. “I have a great deal of experience with this. I would not have given him too much.” His voice sounded a little unsure as he continued. “Though I did give him a larger than usual dose, it should not have kept him asleep this long.” When Elrohir shot him an exasperated look, Elladan shrugged defensively. “We could hardly have him waking up in the middle of it, could we?” However, his gaze now strayed worriedly toward Haldir’s quarters.

“What have you two elflings been doing?” Glorfindel’s voice sounded unexpectedly behind them, causing both to jump in guilty surprise and turn to face the balrog-slayer.

“Nothing,” Elladan answered quickly. “We are nearly ready to go.” He patted the finished pack on his horse and smiled at Glorfindel. “Is the rest of the party ready to leave?”

Glorfindel’s eyes narrowed as he stared hard at first Elladan, then Elrohir. He was quite sure they were up to something. The innocent looks on their faces did not bode well for someone, and it had not escaped his notice that Haldir had yet to make an appearance today. “Where is Haldir?” he asked them casually.

Shrugging, Elladan was the one to answer. “Perhaps he is still asleep. The wine seemed to affect him rather strongly last night.”

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Glorfindel could not stop the thought that Elladan likely had something to do with how strongly the wine had affected Haldir. He turned from the twins to seek out someone to go and check on Haldir. Knowing the twins as he did, he was now quite concerned for the missing March Warden.

Before he could go far, however, a bellow was heard ringing out over the gathered elves. “Where are they? Where are those sneaking, conniving…” Haldir’s voice trailed off as he caught sight of the twins and came to a halt. “You!” he yelled as he strode toward them.

Glorfindel could only stare in shock at the elf in front of him as he approached the twins. Haldir had quite clearly fallen to one of the twin’s pranks. His face was…well, interesting was the only word Glorfindel could think of. Patterns in a dark brown color had been drawn over the warrior’s face. The left side of his face had been decorated to look like a cat, whiskers and all, while the right side had a free-hand pattern of swirls and curves arcing and twisting over the contours of his face. The part of his face that could be seen through the designs appeared reddened, as if he had been scrubbing at his face repeatedly. Glorfindel’s last thought was confirmed as Haldir stopped in front of the twins and pointed a finger at first one then the other.

“You two did this! How do I take this off? I have been working all morning to remove it!” Haldir’s voice was raised in anger as he glared at the two younger elves.

Elladan and Elrohir just gazed at him calmly. “It is no use trying to scrub it off,” Elladan said. “The dye will fade by itself…in four or five days.”

Haldir’s face grew livid as he heard that, and Glorfindel stepped closer to the twins as a precaution. He did not think Haldir would actually try to hurt them, but they appeared to have pushed the elf into quite a rage this time. “And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?” Haldir growled. “I can hardly command the respect of my warriors, looking like this!”

“I don’t know,” Elladan answered calmly. “I think it makes you look more fiercesome. Though perhaps we ought to have done the same pattern on both sides. What do you think, Elrohir?”

The younger twin studied Haldir’s face with a small smirk. “I prefer my design, brother, but since my artistic abilities are greater than your own, I think it best that you decided on a simpler design.”

At that comment, both Haldir and Elladan turned glares on Elrohir, bringing a broad smile to his face. He quirked an eyebrow at his brother. “You asked. I answered. Can I help it if you do not like the answer?”

Haldir snorted in frustration as neither of the twins showed the slightest hint of remorse for their prank. They simply stood there and discussed it quite casually in front of him and all the others. Knowing he would get no apologies, he turned away from them and moved to stand before Celebrián. He bowed his head before her. “Your presence among these woods will be greatly missed.” His sideways glare at her sons contrasted starkly with the formal words he had just spoken. “However, I will not miss the presence of your sons. They are worse than the spawn of Morgoth. Perhaps you can send them out against the forces of darkness? That would surely have them on the run in short order.” He took her hand in his and bowed over it respectfully once more, then turned and strode away from the gathering of elves, struggling to regain his dignity.

Celebrián watched him go, then turned a chastising look upon her sons. “That was hardly necessary, was it?”

They gazed back at her innocently. “The rumor reached our ears that Haldir was actually bemoaning the fact that we had not played pranks on him or anyone else,” Elrohir answered easily. “We were merely making an effort to accede to his desires.”

Though she tried to keep a serious expression on her face, Celebrían could not help the laughter that spilled from her at that remark. It was true that Haldir had complained to her toward the earlier part of their visit that the twins seemed far too serious and sober, and that he almost missed their pranks. “Well, he will never make that mistake again, now, will he?” she asked, shaking her head at her unrepentant sons. Their matching grins were all the answer they gave.

Their expressions a mix of chastisement and amusement over the antics of their grandsons, Galadriel and Celeborn stepped forward and said their farewells to the members of the visiting party. Galadriel gazed long into the faces of her grandsons, searching their hearts and minds. * I am pleased to see the return of the young ellyn we have always known. * She spoke the words into their minds. * I believe you will do well in this time, so long as you resist the temptation to change the course of history to suit yourselves. Glorfindel will be a wise counselor and a steady friend. Rely on him. *

Elladan and Elrohir nodded their heads to indicate that they understood. "Namárië, Daernaneth, Daeradar," Elladan said, "until next we meet." Elrohir echoed his brothers sentiments, and they stepped aside to allow their mother to say her farewells.

Galadriel held her daughter's face in her hands and gazed into her eyes before drawing her into an embrace. Looking over at the twins, she spoke once more into their minds. * Thank you.* Seeing them nod once more, she closed her eyes and held her daughter close before releasing her to allow Celeborn to say his farewell.

Once the farewells were finished, the Imladris elves mounted and turned to leave the safety and beauty of the Golden Wood behind. Elladan and Elrohir, ever on the alert for danger, took the lead, determining that no harm would befall their mother on their return trip. After a while of riding beside Celebrían, Glorfindel urged his horse forward to ride alongside the twins. "That was quite…interesting, what you did to Haldir. Wherever did you come up with such an idea?" Glorfindel was not altogether sure that he really wanted to know where they had come up with the idea.

Elrohir chuckled. "You can thank Estel for that."

Glorfindel frowned at the idea of thanking someone who had not yet been born. "How did he give you this idea?"

"It was rather by accident," Elrohir said, laughing. "Estel was only four or so at the time. He was in his room painting with Elladan when one of them came up with an idea, though I still do not know whose idea it was, and Estel began painting Elladan. Unfortunately, a clothing dye had somehow become mixed in with his paints, and while the paints washed off, the dye did not." It was difficult for Elrohir to finish his tale as he was trying to control his laughter. "Elladan had to live the next few days with childish drawings all over his face and arms."

Elladan flushed slightly, then joined in the laughter. It had been rather embarrassing at the time, but it was a fond memory of Estel's childhood now. He shook his head ruefully. "Raising children is quite an interesting experience."

Glorfindel shot Elladan a startled look.

Elrohir laughed at Glorfindel's expression. "Though Ada took over the role of his father, Elladan and I still had a large part to play in his upbringing. Estel had his naneth and our adar to raise him correctly, tell him the rules and provide whatever discipline he needed. But there were no others near his age, no elflings and no one to play with him. We were truly his brothers as he grew. We were the ones to play with him and make sure he was able to enjoy being a child."

A wicked grin crossed Elladan's face. "Thanks to us, he did all the things a normal child should do, and he showed quite a knack for finding trouble, even when he was not searching for it. It was often our jobs to help him out of that trouble."

Elrohir shook his head slightly. "Especially when it was our fault that he got in trouble. He showed far too great an aptitude at learning our pranks, I must say. Every time he heard another tale of our exploits, he had to go and try it for himself to see if it worked as he had been told. He was a highly curious and intelligent child, I must admit."

Glorfindel shook his head as he thought of a young child being a pupil of the twins and learning all of their tricks. He somehow doubted that Imladris was quite as peaceful during that time as it was now renowned for. "You will have to tell me some of those tales, some day," he commented, looking back over his shoulder. "But not here."

Elladan nodded. "When we return home, we will tell you whatever you wish to know about Estel's childhood." He kept his words specific, so that Glorfindel would know which topics were acceptable, and which were not.

Nodding, Glorfindel slowed his horse and dropped back toward Celebrían, leaving the twins to take point and watch for enemies. He knew that they would be the most motivated to be sure they all arrived home safely. While he noted that they were ever alert and prepared for whatever danger might await them, they had managed to keep their more relaxed demeanor. It was something he was quite relieved to see. He thought they were beginning to become more comfortable in this time and place.

The journey back to Imladris was uneventful with not a single enemy encountered, and the group was relaxed and laughing when they entered the valley they called home once again.

Elrond and Arwen stood on the steps in front of the house and watched in anticipation as the others rode into the courtyard and dismounted from their horses. Arwen ran forward and threw her arms about her mother while Elrond walked forward more sedately and stopped in front of the twins, eyeing them carefully for any signs of injury before smiling and pulling them both into his arms.

"I am glad you have arrived home safely," he said to them. "The house has been rather quiet in your absence." There was a sparkle of humor in his eyes as he spoke.

Elladan chuckled at that. "That is what you always say upon our return, Adar. But we know the truth. You would not know what to do if we were not here to bring noise and chaos to your life. Things would be far too boring here."

"That is indeed true," Elrond said, laughing, pulling back and looking each one in the face. "It brings me joy to have you both home again." He turned to face Celebrían as Arwen released her mother. "And it is even better to have you return home to me, meleth. I am not whole in your absence."

Celebrían smiled broadly as she stepped into Elrond's embrace and turned her face to his for a welcome home kiss.

Arwen left her parents to welcome her brothers. She hugged Elladan, then Elrohir, and then stood back and looked them up and down. "I see that you have managed to return in one piece this time," she teased them gently. "No injuries?"

"Not this time," Elrohir said, draping an arm around her shoulders and turning her to face the house as he began walking, escorting her inside. He turned his head to answer her when she inquired as to how their journey and visit had gone. A quick glance back at his twin said that Elladan was now responsible for taking care of their horses.

Elladan shook his head at his brother, remaining behind for a moment as he watched his parents greet each other, then walk slowly toward the house, arm in arm, smiles on their faces as they spoke quietly to each other. Glorfindel gently touched his shoulder, and he turned to meet the concerned gaze of the older warrior. A smile reassured the golden-haired elf as Elladan spoke. "It is well, Glorfindel. I am simply enjoying the sight of naneth and adar together. It is a sight that I will never tire of." The joy in Elladan's eyes and the ease of his posture brought an answering smile to Glorfindel's face.

"Well, since your brother and father seem to be otherwise occupied, perhaps we should see to the horses?" Glorfindel gathered his horse and Celebrían's before leading the way to the stables. Elladan led his and Elrohir's horses to the stables as well. He and Glorfindel spoke little as they took care of the horses, brushing and feeding them before taking the travel bags inside the house. Elladan chose not to seek the company of others just yet, returning to his room to wash away the travel dust and change into clean clothing before re-joining the others for the evening meal.

When he walked into the dining room, he saw Elrohir, Arwen, Glorfindel and Erestor seated already, talking as they waited for everyone to arrive. Elrohir and Glorfindel had also apparently taken the time to wash and change, as they were wearing the casual style of robes that they often wore around Rivendell rather than their travel tunics and leggings. Elladan took a seat next to Elrohir and asked where their parents were. Elrohir shot him a smirk, but never took his attention away from the story he was telling Arwen. Elladan shook his head at himself. Of course his parents would want some time alone after being separated for the long months of their visit to Lothlórien. He looked up as Elrond and Celebrían entered the room, hands entwined and soft smiles on their faces. A wide smile crossed Elladan's face as he watched his father seat his mother before taking his own seat. It had been so long since he had been able to watch the two of them together, and he had nearly forgotten how clearly they showed their love for each other.

Glorfindel watched Elrond and Celebrían with joy, knowing what had so narrowly been avoided. He would not have wanted to see what became of his long-standing friend if Celebrían were taken from him. It was she who helped ease his burdens, who lightened his heart and showed him how to take joy in his life without becoming so immersed in the running of the realm and the fight against the Shadow that he lost that joy. A glance over at the twins showed that they were taking just as much joy in the sight, judging by the wide smiles on their faces.

With the arrival of the lord and lady of Imladris, the meal was served. Over the course of the meal, the travelers shared stories of their trip, with Celebrían and Glorfindel taking turns describing what the twins had done to Haldir just before they left the golden wood. Elrond turned a disapproving glare upon his sons, but they returned innocent looks back to him.

"But Adar," Elladan explained reasonably, "he was literally asking us to do it."

Elrond raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Would you care to explain that unlikely statement?"

A consternated expression briefly crossed Elladan's face as he realized that he would now have to explain why Haldir and the others had been so concerned for Elrohir and him that they were actually missing the lighthearted side of the twins that they were used to seeing. "We were actually trying to be on our best behavior," Elladan said carefully. "But when we did not attempt to cause any mischief, everyone began to worry about us. Haldir was actually heard complaining that we had not tried to do anything to him. We simply did not want anyone worrying so, and made our plans carefully." A wry grin curved his lips. "Unfortunately, Haldir did not seem to appreciate our efforts."

Elrond's lips twitched slightly, and Elladan thought he was having a difficult time holding back a smile or laughter at their antics. Elrond exchanged a quick look with Celebrían, and his expression sobered. He looked back at Elladan and stared at him intently for a long moment, then turned to do the same to Elrohir. Though he did not say anything, Elladan knew that he knew there was much more to the story than Elladan had said. The subject was not broached, however, and Elladan relaxed as the topic of conversation moved on to encompass more of the events that occurred during their visit. After the meal was finished, Elrond invited all at the table back to his study to relax over a glass or two of wine.

Elrond played the host well, ensuring that all were comfortable and enjoying a glass of the wine that Celebrían had brought back from Lothlórien before he took a seat across from the twins. Celebrían placed a hand on his leg as he sat beside her, and he took her hand in his own. A moment of silence fell on the room before Elrond spoke, looking directly at his sons. "Your naneth tells me that you have had more visions than just the one I was told about."

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a quick glance, trying to determine what they could reasonably tell their father. That glance was enough for them to decide to stick with what the others had been told in Lothlórien, the tale that Galadriel had approved. Though they hated to lie to their family, they could not tell Elrond the truth. Elrohir nodded for Elladan to take the lead.

Staring into his wineglass, Elladan slowly swirled the liquid and watched the light reflect off of the dark wine inside. He pulled his thoughts together and began speaking softly, not looking at his father's eyes. "Yes, we have," he said quietly. "The visions that Elrohir and I have seen are not like the visions you and Daernaneth have, however. For us, the visions are very vivid, as memories rather than as possibilities of the future. They have shown us what would have happened if we had not been able to prevent Naneth's capture by orcs." Finally looking up into his father's eyes, Elladan let his guard drop just enough to show Elrond the depth of the pain and anguish they had lived through before glancing away again. "It is not anything we wish to speak of," he said, looking back up to meet Elrond's eyes, finding the understanding he had hoped to see. "All that you need to know of the content of our visions is that the darkness is spreading, Sauron's minions are increasing by the day, and evil presses close once again." Seeing the depth of the understanding in Elrond's eyes, he continued, "But that is something that you know already, is it not?" He deftly turned the conversation to Elrond's visions and foresight.

Elrond's eyes narrowed as he stared at his son. He had not liked the pain that he had seen in Elladan's eyes. The depth of that pain and despair had struck at his heart, and he would have done anything he could to take that pain from his child. When Elladan had looked back up at him the second time, there had been little in his eyes to hint at the emotion he had shown so briefly. Elrond did not know whether to be glad that Elladan had mastered the pain so completely, or worried that he had been able to hide it so effectively. He was rather surprised when Elladan turned the tables on him and asked what he knew about the evil that sought to once again cover their world. A sigh escaped him as he leaned back against the sofa on which he sat. It was hardly a secret that darkness was on the rise again. The end of the Watchful Peace had come less than a century ago, and evil once again inhabited Dol Guldur. Orcs and other fell creatures were roaming the Misty Mountains and other regions, as evidenced by those that would have waylaid Celebrían and her escort. "Yes," he finally answered. "I fear that the rise of the evil creatures we have seen so far are evidence of a much larger plan to come, though I cannot see what that plan might be."

Elrohir glanced at his brother, then leaned forward slightly, catching his father's attention. "We agree," he said. "What we have seen thus far is only the beginning. Therefore, Elladan and I have decided to join the Dúnedain in their patrols in addition to our own."

Erestor started, staring at the twins and Arwen placed her hand on Elrohir's arm, beginning to protest. Neither of them had heard of this yet. Elrond held his son's gaze steadily, showing that Celebrían had already spoken of this with him. Elrohir placed his hand on Arwen's, asking her to hear him out. "We are protected here, in our hidden valley," he said, "but the Dúnedain are not. The people of the Dúnedain fight against the forces of Sauron and cover a larger area than our own patrols. If we add our strength to theirs, we help to protect their villages and keep the orcs further away from our own doorstep." He glanced at Elladan briefly and received a nod, then took a breath before continuing. "And we must do what we can to ensure the continuation and survival of the line of Elendil. As the world grows more dangerous, they will be more besieged. Sauron will not have forgotten Isildur, and will seek to destroy that line if he can." Elrohir held his father's gaze, showing him the depth of their commitment to this plan.

Elrond stared into Elrohir's eyes and saw that he planned to do as he had said, whether or not Elrond approved. Holding that gaze, Elrond tried to delve deeper into his son's mind, expecting Elrohir to grant him access easily, as he always had. To his surprise, he was rebuffed. Elrohir apparently did not want Elrond searching his heart and mind, and Elrond withdrew in surprise. Sadness crossed Elrohir's face, and he gazed at his father intently. "As Naneth has likely told you already, those visions were quite difficult for Elladan and I. We would appreciate it if you, and everyone else," he added, glancing at Erestor, Arwen and Celebrían, "would not pry into what we have seen. They were dark visions and we do not wish to speak of them. If we must speak of our experiences, we have each other, but we would not burden any of you with them."

Arwen gazed at her brothers worriedly as a concerned expression crossed Erestor's face. The hand on Elrohir's arm tightened in a question, and Elrohir's expression softened. He placed his arm around his sister's shoulders. "I do not mean to worry you," he said, placing a gentle kiss on her temple. "We have learned how to handle the visions, but they are not something we would wish to revisit, or share with others."

Elladan glanced over at Glorfindel, then turned to his father. "We have also told Glorfindel much of what we have seen. As captain of Imladris' guard, he needed to know certain things. While we do not wish to discuss much of our visions, we will tell you and Glorfindel anything we know about the safety of Imladris or our allies. Whatever is necessary for the defense of our people, you will be told. We only ask that none seek to discover the more personal aspects of our visions."

Elrond stared at his sons, perplexed by their refusal to discuss this with him. Celebrían squeezed his hand to let him know she shared his concern for their sons. Elrond stroked her hand reassuringly, then realized why his sons would not speak of their visions. They said it showed a world that would have existed if Celebrían had been taken by orcs. The pain that shot through his heart at the very thought was nearly debilitating. He could not imagine a life without his beloved by his side, and in that moment, knew that his sons sought to protect those they loved from what they had seen and experienced. Though he did not feel that he needed their protection, he had no wish for Celebrían or Arwen to know what those visions contained. "Very well," he said reluctantly. He looked over and held Glorfindel's eyes. "I am glad that they will discuss this with you, as they could have no wiser councilor. If you believe my sons are in danger from these visions, you will report this to me, and I will help them. I do not wish my sons to live with this pain if we can help alleviate it."

Glorfindel nodded his head, knowing as he did, that he would never be able to share the truth of the twins' 'visions' with Elrond. "Of course, hîr-nin. At the moment, I do not believe they are in danger. They are well able to handle all that they have seen." In that, he spoke truth. He knew that the destructive behavior of the twins was in the past, and they would not allow their memories to overtake and rule them.

Elrond relaxed back into the sofa again, and felt Celebrían curl up against his side. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and gazed again at his sons, wishing he could help them, but knowing they would not allow it at this time. As silence settled over the room, Elrohir spoke up once more, his voice quiet. "I would also appreciate it if the knowledge of our visions go no further than those in this room. We were the objects of concern in Lothlórien, and we can feel it again in this room. We do not want others being careful around us or worrying over us. To that end, I ask that this not be shared with any others unless there is a great need." Elrohir looked around the room, holding the eyes of each until he received a nod of agreement, however reluctant. "Good," Elrohir said, settling back and gently tickling Arwen's ribs, making her squirm away from him. "So, does anyone want to hear what we plan to do to Haldir on our next visit?"

Elladan smiled as an exasperated look crossed the faces of both of their parents.

"Haldir will not allow either of you anywhere near him on your next visit," Celebrían said, offering them a reprieve for the moment and going along with the change of subject.

The others followed her lead, and the conversation drifted away from the twins. After finishing their glasses of wine, Elladan and Elrohir excused themselves, claiming fatigue. They could feel the eyes of all those in the room watching them as they departed.

Once they were out of hearing range, Elladan turned to Elrohir. "Do you think Ada will let this go? He seemed quite concerned with how we were being affected by our 'visions'. I do not think he will be content to simply let the matter drop."

A sigh escaped Elrohir. "He is our father and a healer, Elladan. He saw a glimpse of our pain tonight, and wishes to help ease it. I cannot fault him for that, but no, I do not think he will simply let go of this at our request. The only way we can convince him not to pursue this is if we show him that there is no need for concern. We can only do as we had decided, live our lives as normal and show him that we have not been as strongly affected as everyone fears."

Elladan nodded. "I only hope it works."

"So do I," Elrohir responded. They had reached their rooms, and Elrohir stopped in front of his, hand on the doorknob. "Sleep well, muindor, for tomorrow is a new day, and we must convince our family that there is no need for concern."

Elladan wished his brother a pleasant night as well, then stepped into his own room, muttering under his breath. "That is likely easier said than done, muindor."

The next morning, Elrond entered the library where Elladan and Elrohir were reading quietly, enjoying the silence. They looked up when he knocked lightly on the doorframe. "May I speak with you both?" he asked, glancing from one to the other.

Elladan exchanged a glance with Elrohir and motioned for their father to sit down near them. "Of course," he responded.

Taking the seat offered, Elrond broached the topic carefully. "I would like to discuss what we were talking about last evening." He held up a hand to stop the protests he saw forming on their faces. "Please, let me speak. I did not want to pursue this topic last night with your naneth and Arwen present, but I do not need protecting, my sons. I want you to feel that you can tell me whatever you have seen in your visions. Celebrían told me of your behavior in Lothlórien, and I have seen some of the pain you felt from these visions. I only wish to help you both. There has never been anything in your lives that you did not feel you could share with me, and I do not wish this to be any different."

Elrond's voice was earnest, his eyes concerned as he watched his sons. Elladan glanced over at Elrohir and saw the impassive expression of his twin. Sighing, Elladan rubbed a hand over his face and looked back to his father. "Adar, we have said before that we do not wish to speak of these things." He held up his hand to halt Elrond's words, much as he had done to them a moment ago. "Our reluctance is only partly from our desire to protect you and the others from what we have seen. It is truly for our own well being that we ask this, however. It is not an easy thing for either of us to relive those visions, as each time, it is as if it is happening all over again." Elladan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. Opening his eyes, he held his father's gaze. "If you truly wish to see what it is we hide, then look, but look well, for we will not offer this again. It is too difficult on us."

Though he felt greatly uneasy over Elladan's words, Elrond could not help but take his son up on the offer. His curiosity in this was too great. Staring deeply into Elladan's eyes, Elrond watched as his son dropped the barriers that normally protected his mind and allowed Elrond to see into his memories. A gasp escaped Elrond as he felt anger and rage searing his mind. The strength of the emotions made it difficult for him to breathe. A series of scenes flashed by, nearly too quickly for him to make sense of them. What he did see brought pain to his heart. His son was being quite careful not to show him images of Celebrían, but focused more on what they went through after her loss. The image of his sons surrounded by orcs, fighting for their lives occurred over and over again. The emotions associated with those images were not only anger and hatred, but pleasure in the kill, an emotion he never thought to see in his sons. In between the flashes of battle, he saw scenes of them in Imladris, withdrawn, alone, distant from him and all others who cared about them. He saw himself through Elladan's eyes, drifting through his days, nearly lost in his own grief and pain. The despair he felt threatened to overwhelm him, and he felt his heart break as he knew that the emotion was coming from Elladan.

Elrohir was watching his brother and father closely, knowing what a strain this would put on Elladan, and what a shock it would be to his father. When he saw Elladan's hands begin to tremble, he moved quickly between them, breaking their gaze from each other. "Enough, Elladan," he said, covering his twins hands with his own. "You must stop now, it is too much." When he touched his brother, he could feel the emotions that Elladan had shared with Elrond still raging through him. He reached up a hand and turned Elladan's eyes toward his own. "Enough," he whispered again, taking the brunt of Elladan's emotions, and seeking to calm and soothe them. The rage and anger were familiar to him, and he had a great deal of experience at soothing them and locking them away where they could not hurt anyone. Elladan shut his eyes and bowed his head, reaching one hand to rest on Elrohir's shoulder. The younger twin could feel the battle within Elladan to subdue and control the memories and emotions once again. After several long moments, the strain began to drain from Elladan's body and he sagged back into his chair.

Seeing that his brother was once again under control, Elrohir turned around to face his father. "No more," he said firmly. "There will be no more questions about this. You do not know what you ask when you wish us to relive this." After staring at his father, some of his anger drained away. Elrond was pale and looked quite shaken, his hand trembling as he reached up to rub his hand over his face as if to rid himself of the visions he had been shown. "Ada?" Elrohir asked in concern.

Elrond nearly swayed from the shock when his contact with Elladan was abruptly broken. It took a long moment before he regained his knowledge of his surroundings and realized that Elrohir was crouching before Elladan, helping his brother to fight his way back from the memories that had threatened to consume him, and take Elrond along for the ride. As he watched his eldest son struggle with his emotions, Elrond finally realized that his insistence had caused more harm to his sons than any good that could have come from this. They had learned how to live with these memories, but every time someone asked them about the visions, they were forced to relive those memories, and to struggle through the emotions brought about all over again.

When Elrohir turned to him and insisted so fiercely that Elrond not ask them any further questions, he took the chastisement easily. He would never wish to cause them pain in this manner again. Elrond looked at Elrohir when he called to him, and saw the concern in his son's eyes. Elrohir had always been sensitive to the feelings of those around him, and Elrond knew his son had noticed how shaken he was by what he had been shown. "I am well," he reassured Elrohir.

Elrohir could see how shaken his father was, and looked back and forth between him and Elladan, trying to see who needed his help the most. He finally turned back to Elladan and placed his hand over his brother's. "El?" he asked softly.

Elladan leaned forward to rest his head in his hands, then let out a long, slow breath. "I am well, 'Ro." A shaky laugh escaped him. "I cannot keep doing this. The next time someone wants to see our 'visions', I believe it is your turn to show them."

A surge of guilt swept through Elrohir. He had hardly been fair to his twin, expecting Elladan to be the one to relive the memories each time. "Very well," he said softly.

That brought Elladan's head up abruptly as he stared at his twin. Reaching out, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "No, 'Ro. I did not mean that. I would not truly ask you to do this. I could not put you through such pain again." Elladan regretted his words, though they were said mostly in jest. They both had suffered so greatly after Celebrían's departure, but Elladan knew that Elrohir had largely followed his lead in going out to hunt the orcs. His anger and rage had led them both to centuries of battle, and he accepted full responsibility for that. As such, he could not ask his brother to relive those years, not if he could prevent it.

"Neither of you will be asked to do so again," Elrond spoke up, catching the attention of both his sons. "You are correct. I did not know what it was I asked. Now that I have seen…" his voice trailed off for a moment before he cleared his throat and continued. "I will be sure that none seek to ask you about those visions again." He stood and moved to kneel by his sons, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Forgive me, ionnath."

Elladan placed his hand over his father's. "There is nothing to forgive, Ada. You only wished to help us." He held his father's gaze once more. "But in this, the only way you can help is by leaving us alone to deal with it as we may."

Elrond saw the pain and sorrow lingering in the depths of the eyes of his son, and sorely regretted that he had been the one to bring it about. He nodded slowly. "It will be as you ask. Please take this afternoon and rest, I will ensure that you are left alone for as long as you need."

A nod from Elladan was the response, and Elrond stood, looking down at his sons for a long moment before walking slowly away. Having caused them pain, he now did not seem to know how best to help them.

Giving a great sigh, Elladan leaned back against the sofa cushions. "I do not think he will ever bring that subject up again." Though it had been quite a painful experience, Elladan felt that they had at least succeeded in their goal of forcing Elrond to drop the subject of their visions.

"I'm sorry that it caused such a strain on you, though," Elrohir said, still feeling guilty.

Elladan shook his head abruptly. "Do not be, muindor. It is never pleasant, but I am fully capable of letting it go." He gave Elrohir a small smile. "After all, we are here, and Naneth is safe, is she not? I fully intend to make use of this second chance, and now, we should be able to live our lives without constantly worrying that others will press us for details of our visions. For that, this was a small price to pay." He patted Elrohir's hand reassuringly, and picked up the book that had been set aside earlier. "And now, if you do not mind, I would like to finish my book."

Elrohir watched his brother for a moment before rising, shaking his head and returning to his own seat and the book that he had been reading earlier.

Over the next days and weeks, Elladan and Elrohir strove to fit back into the lives they had led for centuries before their mother's capture. It did not take them long until they felt once more at home in a way that they had not in a very long time. They were watched very closely at first, by more than one set of eyes, but as they relaxed back into their daily lives, the close scrutiny gradually eased.