Quick note: this is a edited version of my original work, which had (very minor) references to m/m pairings. If you want to read it in its entirety, I suggest you visit the original at FF.net. The link is on my Author profile page.

*****

It was late evening by the time they reached the village of Halisden, dressed as wealthy tradesmen with their magnificent steeds. Legolas had agreed to darken his hair and face and now walked in front of Elrohir's steed, pretending to be a servant leading his master's horse. The idea amused all three to no end as Legolas put more weight in his step and added a shuffle to his gait.

They passed the gates to the village easily enough and were greeted by the distant sound of merry-making. Dismounting at the sole inn, Elladan grinned.

"Of course -- today the people of Halisden celebrate the harvest! It appears we are in for a treat, for every visitor is welcome to the festivities. They are scheduled to last all night, with a massive display of fireworks just past midnight!"

Legolas beamed. "Then what are we waiting for?"

"Perhaps you expect your master to rub down his own horse?" Elrohir said.

Giving him a playful slap, Legolas made a big show of settling the horses in for the night before the trio took a room in the inn, where Elrohir had to drag Legolas away, for he was getting too excited over the use of money, an alien concept to the Silvan folk, who still relied on ancient bartering and a fair system of trading.

Once Legolas had finished examining the tiny, dark room, checking each one of the human contraptions twice, the twins brought him over to the village square, where the entire village population, young and old, had gathered around a fabulous bonfire, with fiddlers, dancers, barrels of ale in abundance.

The Elves chose a table in a less crowded part and were instantly welcomed by a buxom barmaid. In spite of the poor lighting and the hood over Legolas's head, it was clear by the way she was eyeing him that he was not escaping her intense scrutiny.

"Not from these parts, love?" she said, looking at him askance.

"Sorry; no, we are not," Elrohir said before Legolas could reply.

"Ooh, you sound so sweet!" she cooed, not taking her eyes off Legolas. "Anything Nessie can get you, my sweet?"

"Yes -- you can get my brother and me a round of drinks, and do include one for my servant!" Elrohir said, pointing at Legolas.

Surprise showed in the girl's eyes, and she hurried away, unnerved by the stern manner in which she had just been addressed.

"I am not sure that helped, Roh," Elladan said, leaning on the table and watching the dancers twirling around the fire. "If anything, she is ever more determined to have her way with Legolas now that she knows he is only a servant."

Elrohir tried not to laugh at the frown Legolas had on his face.

"Well, we will be gone tomorrow, so I am afraid she might be disappointed," Elrohir said.

"Whatever happens, just make sure we keep an eye on little Legolas. We never know what he might do!" Elladan said.

To their surprise, Legolas did not flare up at his tease, but instead frowned harder. "I fear I do not know of what you speak."

Exchanging surprised glances, the twins thought for a while.

"Lass, do you mean you do not know what she is after?" Elrohir said slowly.

"No --"

"She wants a tryst, Legolas, that much is obvious!" Elladan said, laughing.

"A what?"

The reply was interrupted by the barmaid's return with three tankards, the last of which she set down in front of Legolas, taking her time and brushing against him as she did.

"Perhaps I shall see you later tonight?" she murmured.

"Perhaps," Legolas said, smiling back.

"Lass!" Elrohir cried, while Elladan tried hard not to choke on his beer.

"What?" Legolas said.

"What were you thinking?" Elrohir said.

By this time, Legolas had taken a mouthful of the bitter drink and promptly started coughing.

"What was that foul liquid?"

"Beer, the drink of choice of humans, love," Elladan said.

"I refuse to drink this!" Legolas said.

"Very well then -- resist the chance to prove your manhood!" Elrohir said, reaching over for his mug.

Elladan, on the other hand, made a sudden movement to grab Legolas's hand as he tried to wave back to the barmaid, who had just given him a wink from another table.

"What are you doing?" Legolas said, put out.

"One might ask that of you, Lass!" Elrohir said.

"Why are you being so fussy and unfriendly?" Legolas said, his hackles raised.

"While Roh and I might not be experts on Silvan culture, what we do know is that it is ridiculous to throw away your life for a girl you met barely five minutes ago!" Elladan said. "Surely even you are not so rash?"

Staring at the twins in disbelief, Legolas shook his head hard.

"What are you talking about? Since when has waving to a barmaid become a deadly action?"

"Legolas, you do know you just accepted her proposition, do you?" Elladan said.

"All I did was wave!"

"She had other things in mind apart from just looking at you," Elrohir said, his face darkening.

"Like what? A dance? And pray tell, what is wrong is dancing with her? If I did not know you better, I would think you are getting jealous because she was interested in speaking only to me and not you!"

At this point, both twins' jaws dropped.

"He knows nothing!" Elladan said, after a long pause.

"No, I cannot believe it!" Elrohir cried in turn.

"Now, that is a very unkind statement to be making --"

Trying not to laugh too hard, Elrohir put an arm around Legolas's shoulders. "No, Lass. But tell me, where do babies come from?"

"Easy. Two people love each other, get married, and have children."

"Why?"

"Because their spirits have been joined by the Valar. But what does this have to do with anything, Roh? It is not as if I am about to marry her!"

"Everything, Lass!" Elrohir cried. Getting Elladan's nod of approval, he leaned closer on the table and continued speaking.

"You are right when you say there is a joining of the spirits during a marriage -- or a binding, as it is sometimes called. However, there is also a joining of the bodies that goes together with it. Only with the two can it be complete."

Legolas's eyes grew wide, causing the twins to snigger as they elaborated with great pleasure.

"But I had no idea!" Legolas said, wishing his ears would stop feeling so hot.

"Now you do!" Elladan said as Elrohir drained the remnants of his beer. "Past your majority and still so ignorant in the arts of love. Did you think babies were born from a few kisses?"

"Let him be, Dan! After all, we should be thankful he does not know about it; his behaviour with the barmaid is thus wholly excusable!"

"You are one to speak, Elrohir, given your numerous dalliances!" Elladan said.

It was Elrohir's turn to redden as he shot Elladan a filthy look.

"You slept with many women?" Legolas cried in disbelief.

"No," Elrohir said. "The first-born differ from mortals in that the joining of the bodies is tied with the joining of the spirits. It is so intricately linked that one cannot survive without the other."

"So this love really does last forever? What if it is not returned?"

"It is not uncommon for that to be, Lass," Elrohir said. "There are times when grief sets in, while others choose to remain by the one they love and guard them with their lives."

For the first time, a look of pain flashed across Legolas's face, as he thought about the loss he had suffered. While his mother's death was something that he thought of often, it had not stopped him from developing an optimistic outlook on life, no doubt aided by his irrepressible servant and best friend, Esendri. Now, for the first time, Legolas was starting to see how pain and sorrow lingered on in the world.

Sensing Legolas's change in mood, Elladan decided to intervene. "So there you go. My advice then would be for you to choose wisely, and guard your heart well."

"I am still not quite sure of what you speak. How --"

It proved to be a wrong question, as the twins exchanged evil grins and both leaned even closer to him in tandem.

"Care for us to show you?" Elladan said.

The look on Legolas's face, one of shock, scandal, horror, and his involuntary backing away caused the twins to collapse against one another and burst into near-hysterical bouts of laughter.

It was not long ere Legolas joined them, and the trio were soon howling, causing the humans to glance in their direction.

"Dear Lass, what a hoot you are!" Elrohir said. "You always had the ability to make me laugh."

The grin on Legolas's face softened, and he seemed to think for a while. "So do you, Roh."

Elladan's surprise was cut off by a commotion from the eastern side of the square, followed by screams and a loud crash.

The music and dancing disappeared as quickly as a falling pin and chaos broke out amongst the villagers.

Leaping to their feet, weapons drawn, the twins were ready for battle in an instant.

"Invaders, Lass!" Elrohir cried.

Legolas, too, drew his knife, sandwiched between the twins.

"We can still flee," Elladan cried above the din.

"No, we fight!" Elrohir said, the usual gentleness gone from his voice, replaced with a steely anger. "The wild men have bullied these people long enough. Their attack was deliberate and timed for tonight. I will not stand by and watch them plunder, rape, and kill at will."

"So be it," Elladan said.

In their excitement, neither realised how pale Legolas had turned.

The invaders were upon them in seconds, only to have the unfortunate men hewn into two by Elrohir and Elladan's powerful strokes.

Turning around to look at Legolas, Elrohir saw him drive his blade into a tall, ugly beast of a man with practiced skill. Satisfied, Elrohir was about to turn back when Legolas released his hold on the knife and shrank away.

"Lass!" Elrohir cried, parrying a mace that sought to crash down upon Legolas's head.

Yanking Legolas's knife out of the dead man and felling another at the same time, Elrohir thrust the knife into Legolas's hands.

"Legolas, what are you doing? Fight!"

To his credit, Legolas tried his best to swing his blade at another attacker, but found his strength lacking, and the blade glanced the surprised man, catching him with only its flat side.

It was the last straw for Legolas, who felt his knees buckle, and a wave rushed over him.

"Dan!" Elrohir screamed as he saw Legolas fall.

Between them, the twins managed to carve a path out from the square, Elrohir dragging Legolas along as they ran towards the stables.

Forcing Legolas onto his horse, Elrohir drove the beast away from the now-burning village until they reached a small pocket of trees almost in sight of Eryn Galen.

Stopping then, Elrohir helped Legolas off, noticing that he was still shaking.

Legolas tried to walk away but found that his feet refused to obey him and instead he knelt onto the ground and started retching.

By his side, Elrohir patted his back, suddenly comprehending why Legolas was reacting in this way. Yet he said nothing and merely waited.

Staring on in concern, Elladan decided to go in search of water, leaving Elrohir to take care of Legolas.

"Worry not, Lass," Elrohir said, as he held Legolas from behind once Elladan was out of earshot. "When I had my first kill, Naneth and Ada had to coax me out of my wardrobe!"

Turning to stare at Elrohir in disbelief, Legolas felt a small amount of his disgust for his weak reaction start to flee.

"Really?"

"Of course! I can still remember the Orc's face till this day, right down to the number of rings on his nose! Dan was no better off, and I believe he refused to sleep without Ada's presence for many days!"

"But you are a warrior!"

"The best of us have to start somewhere! You might not think yourself courageous, but Dan and I both turned tail and fled the moment the Orcs descended upon us. I killed one of them by accidentally swinging my sword at him! If I recall correctly, you stood by our sides and fought the onslaught."

Being praised by Elrohir, Legolas felt some composure return to his rattled spirit. The battle had been nothing like what he and Esendri had imagined it to be in their early games and subsequent discussions. It had been chaotic, frantic, with none of the glamour they always thought went in hand with battles and warriors.

"I felt his life snuff out, Roh! It was a feeling that I wish never to have to feel again!"

Elrohir realised that Legolas was starting to confront the conflict between his love for life and the soldier's requirement of ending it.

"He would have killed you had you not done so," Elrohir said.

"Does it make it any more right?"

"No."

Legolas looked up in surprise, expecting Elrohir to have made some excuse or justification up.

"Neither is it heroic. The stories that are told of them and the childhood fantasies all make them out to be glorious and honourable, but there is nothing honourable about taking the life of another. They only make them to be so because it is a lot easier this way, and people sleep a lot better when their conscience appears to be clean."

"Is that what you think, and still choose to do?" Legolas said, awed by Elrohir's brutal honesty.

"I know that those I love have a better chance at happiness if I do this. And that includes you, Lass."

When Legolas smiled, Elrohir knew that his little leaf had come back to him, grown up, but unchanged after all these years.

"In that case, I too choose to follow your path, for I would do anything to safeguard those I love."

While touched by Legolas's loyalty, Elrohir could not help but feel sadness eat at him. So here was another young being committing himself to a life that nobody really understood or coveted. Alas, that one so young had to lose his innocence and ideals.

Elladan returned then to find Legolas clasping Elrohir's hand, his gaze steady, his back straight.

Passing the bottle of fresh water over to Legolas, Elladan hid a smile. He had known that Elrohir would have been able to comfort Legolas. After all, the pair shared a regard for each other that transcended any material explanation. It was as if the Valar had decreed that they meet all those years ago and carry on their deep and everlasting relationship into the millennia ahead of them.

"I am glad to see you considerably better, Lass," Elladan said. "Did Elrohir regale you about the way he leapt into a tree to hide from what he perceived to be a big, scary bear when Ada took us camping?"

"I was only seven!" Elrohir cried. "And I do wonder where I got that impression from? From my older, more knowledgeable, and undoubtedly braver brother, I presume?"

Taking a long draught, Legolas smiled at their verbal parrying. Some things never changed.

"What next?" Elladan said, tiring of the argument.

"What would happen of those villagers?" Legolas said.

Elrohir drew in a breath but did not answer.

"We must go back!" Legolas cried. "They are no soldiers and will die under the cruel axes of those savages! Why are we wasting our time here talking?"

"Because it does not concern us," Elladan said.

Legolas rose violently.

"How can you say that? They need our help! We can save them! We have to go back before it is too late!"

"Dan speaks the truth, Legolas," Elrohir said, although deep in his heart he, too, felt like a coward. "We cannot fight a battle for others. We might win this for them, but who is to say the barbarians will not come back tomorrow? If we force the wild men not to attack again, and they keep their word, who is to say their sons will not take up the fight again?"

"That is not what you said just now when we were standing before them!" Legolas said. "You wanted to fight them; why the sudden change in your decision? Is it because you do not trust me to be able to do this? I might not have given you the best of impressions, Elrohir, but I am no coward!"

"It has nothing to do with you," Elrohir said.

"But people are dying!"

"People die every day, Legolas," Elladan said.

"Surely you know how painful death is; how final it is?" Legolas cried, properly upset. "But I forget, you can always sail West to join her!"

It was all Elrohir could do not to lose his calm; he had been an angry, sullen creature filled with hatred and losing the ability to love after his mother was forced to sail West after her attack. Only when he had come across an injured Legolas, a boy of less than twenty trying to reach Aman after being told his mother had left for it, had he accepted Celebrían's fate and begun to heal. It had been Elrohir who realised that Legolas had not fully understood the finality of death, that the tale of Tuilinniel sailing West was a lie to make it more comprehensible and bearable. And it had been Elrohir who had explained it to Legolas, thus setting down the foundations of a beautiful friendship as they mourned their losses together.

Reading the silence that fell between them, a wave of guilt and shame crashed over Legolas. How could he have accused Elrohir, always so mindful of his needs and feelings, of being heartless?

Elrohir continued to look at Legolas as he tried to think of an appropriate response. He knew Legolas had only launched into a tirade in his state of confusion and agitation, but the memories it brought back were not so easily reasoned away. After all, images of his vacant-eyed, sleep-walking mother screaming in response to tormentors that only existed in her head were what had driven Elrohir to the brink, to killing indiscriminately.

A look at Elladan told Legolas that he was keeping his face turned away, a stony expression etched onto his fine features.

Swallowing hard once, then twice, Legolas braced himself before speaking. "No words can ever express my apologies, Elladan and Elrohir, nor my gratitude at what you have both done for me. But I shall return to Eryn Galen now, and you will always be welcome there should you ever want to --"

He was cut off by a big hug from Elrohir.

"Tithen Lass -- little leaf --, whoever said anything about leaving? Dan and I promised to spend a whole month with you, whether you liked it or not, and we intend to keep to our word!"

Breaking into a shaky smile, Legolas said, "Are you not angry with me?"

"You know there are no grudges held between us," Elrohir said.

"Furthermore, I doubt it is possible for Roh ever to find fault with anything you do," Elladan said, joining in the hug by squeezing Legolas in the middle. "It is a fact of life which we all have to get used to."

Elrohir smiled too when he saw how true Elladan's words rang.

"You will see that life is never as we wish it to be, Legolas," Elrohir said.

"Ai, but what I do know is that my twin lords of Imladris are always there for me, and it is something that warms my heart."

"My, my, His Royal Highness is being presumptuous," Elladan said, breaking apart.

"You have missed much in my life since I left Imladris," Legolas said, looking at Elrohir with bright eyes that had regained their admiration and trust. "And I expect both of you to get up to speed within the next month!"

And so they did for the next month, and the many that followed, all the way till the very last ship had faded into the horizon. But that is another story.

*****

A/N: That's it. Short and sweet for once, I really enjoyed reuniting the trio, and am sure it will not be the last time I write about them. Ideas abound, but I fear they might have to take a backseat to other projects. Still, I will send out emails if you wish to be alerted to new developments on this front, so let me know again.