Epilogue

        Poking through sloppily closed drapes; shafts of early morning light fell on the clean brick-red tiled floor. The golden beams illuminated lazy dust motes that floated down like snow, falling invisibly on everything. A hard, smallish bed sighed under the weight of three sleeping brothers - even if only brothers by name. Already a chair that had been occupied slept in even, most of the night was emptied, it’s occupant tending to a dear friend.

        As always, Glorfindel had awoken with the dawn, despite his injuries and the strong herbs Elrond had used on him the night before. Now he lay on his back, allowing the elf-lord to again clean and rebind his wounds. Elrond was relieved to have found no internal injuries besides a lot of (painful) bruising, but he cautioned Glorfindel in getting up at any time soon.

        “I do not think that I could if I wanted to.” Glorfindel laughed weakly.

        Elrond smiled, dropping the soiled linens into a wicker basket, “Is there anything you care for my friend, some food perhaps?”

        Glorfindel turned slightly green at the thought and shook his head, “Some water will do.”

        “Fair enough.” Elrond picked up the pitcher and filled a mug, holding it carefully to the other elf-lord who was yet too weak to lift it. As much pride as Glorfindel lay claim to, he knew when he needed help, unlike certain others.

        Pushing through layers of consciousness, grey eyes opened sluggishly and blinked a few times. Elrohir slowly shifted his head, finding himself looking straight at his mirror image, eyes glazed in elven sleep and lips, one split, parted slightly. He could feel his twin’s warm breath issuing forth against his skin and another’s on his neck. The soft, familiar snoring behind him confirmed that this belonged to Estel, his human foster-brother.

        “Ell-adan.. ” Elrohir whispered, the broken word falling on deaf ears. Pain quickly made itself known above the haze and he hissed, clenching his eyes tightly closed and allowing himself to sink deeper into the pillow. His chest hurt sharply, and he soon found it difficult to draw air. Slowly he reached a hand up to touch the bandages at his throat, feeling the warm blood seeping through them and the tenderness of the area. Instinctively, that was the area the wargs would try to attack first. Elrohir knew he was fortunate to have survived, and thinking back he knew that there had been a moment when he was not certain that he would live if it were not for his twin.

        There were six glittering, yellow eyes upon him and three muzzles open to reveal pearly white teeth. These teeth were equisite in their curved form and perfect design; they were designed to kill, and easily could have. Elrohir bore his blade high in front of him, ready to use it should the need arise. With an intelligence that exceeded normal beasts, the wargs went into a formation. They surrounded Elrohir from three sides, each snarling for his attention.

        The warg to his left hunched into a pre-pounce stance, snarling and Elrohir faced it for several seconds as it made to jump him. But the warg faked the jump; instead leaping to the left while its pack-mates used the turned back to their advantage and hurdled themselves onto Elrohir. He cried out as one wrapped its muzzle about his leg, falling to the ground with a final cry of, “Elladan!”

        Hearing a distress call, Elladan turned about from where he was fighting and rushed to his brother’s side. Elladan charged the warg that was upon Elrohir’s chest and imbedded his blade into the beasts back, driving it almost straight through. Then he quickly snatched up Elrohir’s sword and assailed the other two wargs with it, driving them away. Praying softly that Elrohir was alive, Elladan picked him up into his arms and checked all his vital signs. He sighed in relief and held his brother near his chest protectively, noting the blood he was loosing and worryingly closed eyes. ‘He is simply unconscious.’ Elladan told himself, signalling for the retreat as the battle was obviously being lost.

        There was a throbbing sensation in his leg, and Elrohir sat up abruptly to look upon it. But he could not sit up for long before he suddenly felt faint and tumbled back, crying out in pain. A ripping sound arose with his cry, signalling that he had torn his stitches. Again he could feel warm blood gushing from the wounds and he sighed.

        Elrond rushed into his the room where his sons lay, and took one look at Elrohir before shaking his head and preparing to re-stitch his wounds. Elladan blinked sleepily at Elrohir; glad that his brother was awake, “How do you feel?”

        “How do you think I feel?” Elrohir asked, his voice rough.

        “Like you just lost to wargs.”

        Elrohir smirked, but said not more as he allowed Elladan to remove himself from the bed and Elrond to remove the bloodied bandages. Elladan pressed his lips to his brother’s brow in a kiss, letting him know how relieved he was. Beside him, the human child snored loudly.

        “Estel sleeps like the dead,” Elladan commented, “but louder.”

        At this Elrohir snorted with laughter and attempted to repress his giggles, for they hurt his chest immensely.

        Now Elrond came and began to re-stitch the wounds, not offering Elrohir any pain relievers besides his brother’s humour - though this was enough. Elladan helped rebind the wounds while Elrond went to find some food. He returned with a tray of boiled egg slices, biscuits and berry spread which he set on the table. Elladan fed Elrohir first, grinning as his brother clumsily spilt the red berry juice on his face. The smell quickly woke Estel, and Elladan swore that the child was part hobbit. Estel questioned what a hobbit was, leading to a story on Elladan’s part with the occasional weak interjection from Elrohir about how the story was supposed to go. Eventually the conversation died down.

        “You were foolish to try to get up so soon my son.” Elrond said, stroking Elrohir’s hair.

        “Just because you are an elf does not mean that you can do anything.” Estel said, trying very hard to look wise.

        Immediately Elladan burst out laughing, and even Elrond grinned at the overly serious expression on the ten-year-old’s face. Elladan could remember himself saying those same words the night before.

        Elrohir blinked in confusion, staring at Elladan as if he had gone mad, “I shall not ask.”

        With a soft sigh Elrohir laid his head back and closed his eyes lightly, “Thank you.”

        fin