Elrond fell silent in the telling of his tale. In spite of his eagerness to hear more, Aragorn sat quietly patient, mulling over what he had already learned, as he waited for Elrond to continue. After a moment, however, he felt the need to speak.

"It must have been strange for you to meet in such way -- after so long apart, to be met with a drawn sword! Did he actually fear your reception of him that much? Your own brother? I wonder... How long had it been since you had last spoken together? How did you part?"

"It had been many years in the eyes of Men, though the Elves would have thought little of the passage of those years," Elrond replied slowly. "After the Choice, we took our leave of one another. Our parting? It was difficult, though there was no anger between us. Yet I wondered in later years if perhaps Elros would have remembered it differently -- his choice was the harder one, and he may have felt I did not understand it or appreciate it -- and that I was angry with him. Perhaps I was... at first. But I thought better of it later -- but by then, he was far away."

Elrond sighed and looked off into the distance as if seeing into the past.

"In any case," he continued after a moment, "our ways led us apart. I went with Gil-galad to Lindon, and Elros remained by the shore to oversee the building of the ships that would take him and his people across the sea to the land that would be theirs. When he sailed, I did not expect to ever see him again."

Aragorn frowned in sad concern.

"I... it must have been difficult. I see how the twins Elladan and Elrohir deal with one another, and and how they react when they apart. There is a connection there that I have seen in no other relationship. Surely it must have been the same for you and your twin?"

"You may be young, Estel, but you see with the eyes of great wisdom!" replied Elrond with a fond smile. "Indeed, it was the same. The decisions we made that separated us did not change the fact that we were brothers, and twins, at that. Though we were soon parted by a sea so wide, and by a doom even wider, there was still that special connection between us. It was painful to not have him by my side. Even as I felt that connection between us that twins share, I also felt my brother's absence from my side when he went away, and so the years seemed longer and emptier than they might have to any other Elf. As they do still!"

"Do you think Elros sensed that you missed him so?"

"That was not clear to me. A change occurred when he chose to be counted among Men, a subtle change in how we related to one another, particularly from afar. The thread between us was still there, but it was more... more tenous, perhaps? It is hard to describe."

"Forgive me for being presumptuous, my father, and asking you things that touch you so closely, things you have perhaps shared with few others. I am honored that you are willing to share such memories with me!"

"Yes, such matters do touch me closely, but they are part of the tale I am telling you, and you need to hear them, for they touch you closely as well. You are a Man, and you are the son after many generations of Elros himself, and I think it will help you understand yourself if you understand him -- and I will benefit from that understanding as well! That is the way of most tales, even bedtime tales, is it not? That they teach even as they entertain."

Aragorn chuckled.

"I thought perhaps that was the way of it. Tell me more of Elros, then. What did you say to him? How did he respond? And why did he return to the shores of Middle-earth and summon you to him?"

"I will tell you!"

***

"It has been long… brother," Elrond said, pulling down his hood.

"It has... brother," answered Elros. A look of uncertain hope crossed his face at the use of the word.

Elrond stepped forward, one hand extended.

"Put away Aranrúth, King of Men, and put away your fear and doubt with it. You have need of neither sword nor doubt. I am here, and no matter what else has come between us before this, we are two brothers met here after long absence. Let us greet one another appropriately!"

"Yes!" cried Elros, and sheathing his sword swiftly, he strode forward and embraced Elrond.

They held each other long, and though no discernable words were spoken, it was obvious to those who had accompanied Elrond that communication of a very deep nature was taking place. They waited, silently patient, until the two brothers separated, and took care not to notice the tears upon the faces of Elf and Man.

"I think you doubted I would come, Elros," said Elrond, but it was without reproach.

"I did wonder! I am sorry now that I did not trust you more, and that I let my fear of your disapproval overshadow my knowledge of your heart and love. Is that a thing that comes with being mortal, this giving in to doubt and fear when the end cannot be clearly seen? If so, I shall have to be more aware of it in the future, and guard against it!"

"It could be so," replied Elrond thoughtfully. "I do not envy that of you! But you have the strength of mind and heart to overcome such fear, that I do know. Mortal Man will benefit greatly from having your blood flowing in his veins!"

"I wonder sometimes if that is part of the reason I chose as I did! But I do not analyze my decision so often, because I know it was right for me, and it needs no justifying. I regret nothing of the choice I have made for my own peace of heart and the guiding of the people of our fathers -- but it does often lie heavily on me that you wished I had chosen otherwise!"

"Of course I wish that, my brother!" answered Elrond. "And I do confess that my heart broke a little when I heard your words of choice. But do not fear that with such regret comes anger or an unforgiving spirit. Your choice and mine cannot stand as a barrier between us. We are brothers, like no others! We have seen much and known much together, of mortal Man and of Elf lord both, and we have a bond that will last for all time, and perhaps even beyond. So I believe! Rest you assured now. You do not blame me for choosing as I have done, do you? Just as I do not blame you for choosing what seemed so right to you -- for I could see even then that you did not choose blindly."

Elros bowed his head, then once more embraced his brother fiercely.

"Who knows?" said Elrond, returning the embrace just as fiercely. "Perhaps our doomed separation will serve some higher purpose that as yet is not revealed!"

Elros laughed.

"As always, your wisdom sees beyond even what your eyes and your heart know, for it is of choices and doom that I wish to speak. That is why I have called you here."

"Ah! Tell me!"

"You called me King of Men, and so I am -- or will be, once the quest I have been given is fulfilled, or at least attempted. Alas that I cannot yet have what my heart yearns to have for my peace and the needs of my people! Alas that I cannot yet have the fruit of my choice! But I digress. Not long ago, I received word that there was a mission I must undertake in order to gain all my desire -- a quest I must complete before I can gain my place as a leader of Men."

"Who set this task for you?"

"None other than Manwë himself, and Varda his Queen!"

It was several moments before Elrond found his voice, such was his amazement at his brother's pronouncement.

"It is an awesome thing to be the tool of Manwë in the world! It is no wonder you are distraught!" Elrond exclaimed. "Yet, I wonder... why would they lay such a burden on you, that to have the one thing you must do another? You say it is so that you can win your land and your throne -- but was that gift not already given, when you made your choice? Surely there could be no further conditions to that choice, that was made of your own free will. No, it must be something else."

Elros shook his head doubtfully, but then hesitated, as if a new thought had come to him.

"I... I understood it as a further condition that must be fulfilled, yet... Now that you put it that way, perhaps I was mistaken..."

"Perhaps," Elrond agreed. "I wonder if this quest you are to fulfill is not only a thing that Manwë deems important to himself and to the succour of Middle-earth but also is something that needs doing for you as well. A thing that if accomplished -- or even simply attempted -- will cause you to be free to rule as you wish. Is there an unfinished task or a thing that plagues you and occupies your mind so that you cannot move forward as you should? Something from the Age that has passed which should not linger in the new age, but does so because your heart cannot let it go? What task could there be that would answer that need, as well as fulfill the desire of Manwë the Great?"

Elros sighed heavily.

"There is such a thing! And it took you and your wisdom and knowledge of the Valar to help me see it. I have done right to ask your aid in this!"

"You have not yet asked me, nor told me your need," smiled Elrond.

"No, I have not. But I shall! You know that Maglor, son of Fëanor, refused the summons to return to Valinor, though his heart wished otherwise. He feared there would be no forgiveness for his Oath and the evil that was done by his own hand, and he felt himself to be damned and unforgiveable."

"Yes," replied Elrond sadly. "I know this."

"Have you seen him ever, since he left the fellowship of Men and Elves, and wandered away alone?"

"No, I have not, but I have heard it said that others have seen him, or heard his song in his wanderings."

Again, Elros sighed.

"I am to find him, and urge him to return. Manwë wishes him to know that the way is not barred to him, if he will choose it, and he bids me do this on his behalf, because Maglor was once as a father to me for a time -- and to you. Will you help me find him? Will you help me persuade him?"