Chapter 8:  confrontations and consolidations

After regaining his wits, Elrond had instantly marched toward where the Last Homely House would stand in the future. It was strange to look upon the place and see nothing apart from a wild landscape, just like the days when he had set his foot for the first time into this valley. Without any doubts he had known this was the place he where wanted to reside until the end of Arda or the time when he would sail, whatever would occur first.

When he had ascended the steep hill and had just crossed the point where the statues of Gil-galad and Eärendil would mark the entrance to the front porch he stopped in mid stride.  There, in the middle of where he would stand to welcome guests, sat two hunched figures leaning against each other for support, their eyes lowered.

He immediately recognized his twin sons who were now looking up at him with a mixture of tension and dread. He had completely cut off his bond and this must feel as alien to them as it felt to him.

His first impulse was to open his heart and his bond to his children, but then he remembered why he had initially closed off their bond. Grief and sorrow had overwhelmed him and he had no desire to go on like this; three hundred years of suffering had finally taken its toll.

Nonetheless, he walked toward the young elves while they slowly stood. While Elladan stood immobile, Elrohir came toward him and embraced him wordlessly. Elrond returned the embrace, yet he felt more than uncomfortable and had no accompanying emotions reaching his heart.

“What are you doing here, Ada, at this…strange place,” Elrohir asked while searching his father’s face.

While releasing his younger son and looking at Elladan, the Elf-lord sighed.

“I could ask the same of you two,” he replied with a raised eyebrow.

While Elrohir frowned, Elladan only snorted.

“Some Vala is amusing himself, that’s quite obvious,” the older twin stated a scowl on his face.

Elrond directed a stern glare at his heir.

“Do not speak of the Powers disrespectfully, Elladan,” he demanded and his tone allowed no room for a reply.

The older twin however whirled around.

“Do you know what, Adar? I do not care but it does not matter any more. Very likely it’s you we have to thank for this spectacle.”

“Elladan!”

This sharp cry did not come from the Elf-lord but from Elrohir.

Before Elrohir could say any more, Elrond had placed a restraining hand on his son’s shoulder.

Directing his gaze back to the older twin the healer took a deep breath. Even without their bond opened, the Elf-lord could clearly see his son’s anger.

“What do you want to say, then?” he asked, his tone purposefully challenging.

Elladan did not need to be asked twice. With an angry glare he walked toward his father until they were only an arm’s length apart.

“Again you have taken the easy way out and decided to fade. That’s really an accomplishment, my Lord!”

While Elrohir could only gasp in shock, Elrond narrowed his eyes.

“Again?” he asked and his tone had reached an icy level.

Quivering with anger Elladan stepped closer.

“Yes, again. You should have rescued her. You did not do enough to heal mother – it’s all your fault….”

He shouted the last word. Elladan´s eyes were flashing and his hands were shaking. Elrohir swallowed. Anxiously he directed his gaze at his father, yet where he had expected shock and grief; he saw the same angry glare reflected in the steely grey eyes of his father. Never before had his father defended himself in this matter, but again, things were not normal, as Elrohir quickly learned.

“Watch your tongue, young one. I did what was in my power and beyond to heal your mother but she did not allow me inside her core. She made the decision to sail and find healing elsewhere. That was her choice, not mine.”

“You should have stopped her from leaving…,” Elladan interrupted his voice nearly hysterical now.

Elrond made a very non-Elf-lord snort.

“Stop? Your mother? Since when has your mother taken any advice after her mind was set?”

A shiver run down Elrohir´s spine at the bitterness he could hear from this statement. He had always also thought that it was his father’s wish for his mother to sail.

Equally nonplussed, Elladan showed his contempt with a gesture of his hand and turned.

Before the older twin could take a step, his father spoke again. This time Elrohir´s heart constricted so painfully, he let out a strangled gasp.

“Had you two accomplished your appointed task as required, all of this would not have happened. It was your duty to protect and guide your mother home. What did you bring home? An empty shell, with nothing remaining for me to heal. It is as much your guilt as it is mine….or no one’s ….”

Here the Elf-lord stopped and sank to his knees. Tears too long held in check flowed freely.

Yet not only was Elrond breaking down, his sons also gave themselves over to their grief. Elrohir knelt next to his father, his vision blurred with tears, and Elladan was not far behind.

On their knees, their arms entwined around each other, pulling them into a tight circle. The three peredhil joined and allowed themselves to grieve from the depth of their souls.

“I’m so sorry, Adar. I wish I could reverse what happened but I cannot,” Elladan sobbed and Elrohir only nodded.

“Of course I do not blame you. I would give my life if I could bring your mother back, but I cannot,” Elrond added his voice barely more then a whisper.

The three elves remained huddled together while time passed unnoticed around them.

After some time, words were unnecessary. Elrond reopened his bond to his children and immediately the three elves sank to the ground unconscious, overwhelmed by the much-needed reassurance that their love and respect for each other was still strong.

Some distance away two Valar gazed at one another with pleasure.

“That was hard but necessary,” Námo stated and his spouse only nodded.

“Let us bring them back and give them some hope,” Vairë whispered. From one moment to the next, the Imladris from the past vanished, replaced by a more familiar sight.

…………………………………………

After Elrohir had rounded the corner and undoubtedly left the House like his brother, Glorfindel slipped into the Elf-lord’s room. As he had expected and dreaded, Elrond was still lying there unmoving and looking more dead than alive.

The presence of the brothers had changed nothing; at least so far as Glorfindel could detect. Silently he had hoped for the opposite, but after seeing them act and interact with each other, he had buried all hope.

He was normally not subdued this easily but the many years of grieving, of hovering between desperation and hope, had left marks even on him.

Right now, he was clueless about how to help his Lord. An unerringly bad feeling however advised him to look after the brothers. If they chose to follow their father by fading, well that was the last thing he needed right now.

Advising the healer on duty to stay with the Elf-lord, even if he was sure it was unnecessary, Glorfindel left the house and went in search of Elrond’s twin sons.

Having known them their whole lives, he had always had a good idea of where to look for them. Elrohir had always found relaxation at the stables being with his beloved horses. Glorfindel decided to head there first. Afterward, he would search the riverbank to look for Elladan.

When he reached the stable, he frowned when he noticed the stall door of Elrohir´s mare open. He could not see the younger twin anywhere and he was sure Elrohir would never forget to close the door. This was odd. When he entered the box, he saw that Tindóme was standing pressed to the right; her eyes wide open with fright.

Glorfindel extended a hand to soothe the frightened animal but the horse shied further away from him. The warrior stopped his approach when his gaze fell on a black spot in the golden straw.

It almost looked like a burn mark. He carefully bent down to inspect the spot more carefully. If a fire had cause this, then the fright of the horse was understandable. However, why was the damage restricted to such a small area?

He rubbed the charred straw between his fingers and sniffed it, yet he could make no sense of why the straw looked burned.

Anyway, Elrohir was not here, even if Glorfindel had the strong feeling that the blackened spot on the floor had something to do with the disappearance of the younger twin. He patted Timdóme and after finally calming her down, he closed the stall door.

Now he made his way down to the river. Knowing where Elladan's favourite spot was, he determinedly marched around a bend of the river and stopped in mid stride.

At the water's edge, the grass was blackened in the same manner as the straw. He could find no trace of the older twin. A very bad feeling was spreading through his gut. What, in the name of the Valar, had happened here?

Since it was very unlikely that both twins had been victims of a lightning strike Glorfindel mused that the Powers he had just mentally asked for advice must be involved.

Before he could form another thought he heard silent weeping. Steeling himself he rounded a big boulder and saw the twins, cowering in the dirt, holding each other in a tight embrace and unaware of his presence.

Their tears tugged at his heart and he hoped it was not a new grief plaguing them.

Purposefully snapping a twig, he announced his presence. Elladan looked up and for the first time in a long time, a real smile was on his mouth.

Glorfindel was so stunned at the display that he stood there dumbfounded. The smile was contagious, but he needed a couple of seconds to respond in the same way. He knelt beside the brothers and enveloped both in a tight hug.

He did not have to know what had happened, but he felt clearly that a change had happened.

The positive and unburdened feelings rolling in waves from the younger elves were enough for him. Explanations could wait until later.

All three stood and began to walk back to the house. Looking up, they saw the healer Glorfindel had assigned to look after Elrond running down the hill toward them.

“My Lord Glorfindel, Master Elrond has awakened. He has asked for you …and for you, my Lords,” he added as he spied the twins.

All three elves broke into a run leaving the healer behind them.

To be continued…………………………..