A big thank you to Cathy for beta'ing this for me, as well as the first two chapters. *Hugs Cathy*

Chapter Three

The dimly lit sky boasted of purple and orange as the sun started to come up. Aragorn held his brother tightly against his chest as the horse they were on ran swiftly towards Rivendell. On the horse next to them, Legolas threw worried glances to Elrohir. Elrohir’s horse, empty of its rider, ran on the other side of Aragorn’s palomino, easily keeping up pace.

Elrohir’s head was bowed to his chest, his eyes closed. Aragorn knew that riding so fast was only making Elrohir worse, but they had no choice other than to do so if the injured Elf was to have any chance at all to live.

“Hold on, ‘Ro,” he whispered to his unconscious brother. “We are almost there, do not give up on me now.” Aragorn just hoped they wouldn’t arrive too late.

At long last, the trio reached the gates of Rivendell. Not bothering to put the horses in the stable, Aragorn and Legolas pulled up to a halt front right outside the Rivendell manor. Legolas was off his horse and beside Aragorn’s in a second; he took Elrohir from Aragorn so the human could dismount. The two then rushed inside, throwing the horses reins into the hands of a nearby elf, Aragorn yelling for Lord Elrond.

Elrond was there in half a second. His face paled when he saw Elrohir and he quickly but carefully pulled his son into his arms. Calling for Glorfindel and the other healers, he rushed off to Elrohir’s chamber; Aragorn and Legolas following.

Elladan met up with them on the way; his face was already pale, almost as white as his twin’s. While he looked worried, Aragorn could see no trace of surprise on Elladan’s face at the sight of his twin in such a state. Aragorn couldn’t help but assume that Elladan had already known Elrohir was hurt. His eyes drifted down to his pack, where he’d put the arrow that hit Elrohir—Elladan’s arrow.

Glorfindel forced Elladan, Aragorn, and Legolas to leave Elrohir’s chamber and wait in the hall. Elladan paced in front of the door. Aragorn and Legolas went to the ranger’s chamber, just two doors down, to talk.

“Elladan did NOT shoot Elrohir,” Aragorn insisted. “There must be another explanation.”

“The entire situation is very strange,” Legolas said. “Elladan did not look surprised when he was how gravely Elrohir was wounded.”

“That does not mean Elladan shot him,” the human cried.

“None of us sensed any danger,” Legolas continued as if he hadn’t heard Aragorn. “And after Elrohir got shot I didn’t see anybody, or anything nearby.”

“It was not Elladan!” Aragorn yelled. “Elladan would never shoot Elrohir, never.”

“Perhaps not on purpose,” Legolas replied. His eyes met Aragorn’s. “Can you explain it otherwise, Estel? Maybe he decided to come after all, and—,”

“Accidentally shot Elrohir? That is absurd, Legolas, and you know it.” Aragorn shook his head at the thought. Elladan would have had no reason to shoot towards the three at all. The ranger knew better than to think Elladan would have missed a target, and he knew Legolas knew better as well.

“Then I have no idea, Estel,” Legolas sighed, resigned.

“Someone obviously stole one of Elladan’s arrows,” Aragorn concluded.

Legolas raised his eyebrows. “To kill Elrohir and make us think it was Elladan? Why? Who would do that?”

“I don’t know.”

***********************

Aragorn and Legolas rejoined Elladan outside Elrohir’s chamber a short time later. Elladan was still pacing and he did not ask any questions of Aragorn and Legolas about what happened.

“Glorfindel is helping Ada,” was all he said to them. Hours later, Glorfindel finally emerged from the room.

Elladan, Aragorn, and Legolas, all weary and anxious, immediately surrounded the older Elf. Glorfindel himself looked incredibly worn out.

“Go to bed, all of you. It will be a long day.”

“He lives, does he not?” Legolas asked, worried at the grim look on Glorfindel’s face.

“He is alive,” Glorfindel confirmed, but would not say more. He gently pushed Elladan towards the twin’s chamber before returning inside Elrohir’s.

Aragorn watched as his oldest brother slowly made his way down the hallway into his chamber. He walked incredibly slowly, almost reluctantly. The ranger’s thoughts trailed back to that arrow. How had someone gotten one of Elladan’s arrows? Aragorn supposed it wouldn’t have been too difficult for someone to steal one if they’d really wanted to. However, following the two Elves and the ranger without detection was entirely different. Shooting Elrohir in the chest with his twin’s arrow and then leaving before Legolas spotted anything was different. Legolas had been right when he had said it was strange.

While he was loathe to admit it, Aragorn knew Elladan was acting strange. Aragorn had expected more resistance from him when Glorfindel pushed him towards his chamber, but the dark-haired Elf had not protested at all. Aragorn could not ignore the fact that Elladan had not been at all surprised to see his injured twin brother, nor could he deny that he had never asked what happened.

Aragorn turned to Legolas to see him also watching Elladan; the Mirkwood Prince’s eyes held more suspicion than Aragorn was comfortable with. Legolas turned his head and made eye contact with the ranger.

“Go to bed, mellon nin,” Legolas told him. “You are exhausted. Lord Elrond or Glorfindel will come get us all as soon as they know something.”

Aragorn stood back and folded his arms across his chest, staring back at his friend in protest. “I will not go to bed unless you do as well.”

Legolas just smirked. “I plan to, Aragorn.”

With that, the Elf pushed the human towards his chamber and followed, as the guest chamber Legolas always stayed in when he visited was next to Aragorn’s.

As Aragorn walked down the hallway, he turned his head back to the door to Elrohir’s chamber. He decided to push Elladan’s arrow out of his mind for the time being. Nothing mattered right now except that Elrohir lived. Aragorn suspected that, whether his brother lived or not, nothing would ever be the same.

TBC