Not Again?!

Chapter 9

I was going to make this longer, but frankly this was the perfect cliffie. So . . . /innocent smile/ Enjoy!

When the bond with his twin returned suddenly, Elrohir almost burst into tears. The connection that had snapped was suddenly mended again, warmth flooding his fëa and sending a buzzing through his veins. He could feel his brother again . . . he was fine. Nothing had changed. He could sense his brother a few hundred yards away, in the main courtyard. Something was slightly off though . . . the bond was still there, but there seemed to be a dark cloud of something hovering just between them. All dark memories of what had happened a few moments ago were gone, replaced by a wave of complete and utter relief.

"Elrohir?" He realized his father was holding him up, and a sudden flash of anger went through him at his weakness. He pulled away and Elrond's arm dropped, releasing him. Elrohir straightened, feeling energy course through him at the restoration of the link with Elladan. He raised his chin. "I'm fine." Taking a look at his father, he could tell that he was confused.

Elrond's face was a mask of confusion. He had no idea what had just happened. His son collapsed, was lost in his mind for a few minutes, came to, struggled to his feet, was supported by his father, then suddenly jerked away again. He reached for Elrohir, only for the twin to pull away again.

"I said I'm fine!" Elrohir looked around. "Where's Erestor. Wasn't he just in here?"

"I sent him to look for Elladan," said Elrond. He narrowed his gaze at his son. "Since you seem to be fine now, what happened?"

Elrohir didn't really feel like explaining about it, yet he knew it wouldn't do any good to ignore his father. He sighed and faced his father, deciding to get the words out and over with. "My link with Elladan disappeared, I kind of passed out, then it came back. That's all. Happy?"

The extremely condensed version of recent events had Elrond baffled, but he got the basic idea. "It vanished?!" He paused. "But it's back? How?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Elrohir snapped, all of the tension and former worry about his older brother getting to him. He regretted it instantly, though, shoulders slumping. "I'm sorry, Ada. I just . . . I'm worried. That's never happened before." He looked with muddled grey eyes up at his father. "What could have happened to him?"

"We'll find out," Elrond said firmly, making up his mind. Placing his hand on Elrohir's shoulder, he nudged him toward the door. "Let's go find him."

"He's in the courtyard," Elrohir volunteered, and they started that way.

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Ioreth hummed to the sleeping elfling in her arms as she walked back toward her chambers. He had fallen asleep just moments before, lulled to sleep by a ballad Ioreth had sung to the trees. She was going to head back to her bedchambers and let Duron have his nap. She would then work on some of her needlework while he slept, then she would possibly go eat supper, or play with him some more.

Turning into the path that would lead to her chambers, Ioreth paused and tilted her head slightly at a distraught cry that came from the direction of the courtyard. "Ai Elbereth! What happened?"

She was instantly worried. In the past four days, not once had she heard someone yelling. Was something going on? Readjusting Daron so his head wouldn't loll to the side, Ioreth let her curiosity get the better of her and hurried toward the direction the person had yelled. She went around the corner of a building and her eyes widened immediately in surprise.

The two ellyn Ioreth had seen minutes before were in the middle of the courtyard, two other dark-haired elves with them. Elladan was being held up by the Balrog-slayer she had just guided in the direction of the twin, and she partially recognized one of the others as Lord Elrond's adviser. Concern lacing her features, Ioreth hurried toward them.