Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama/Angst
Summary: A simple hunting trip turns into a disaster as Elladan and Elrohir are attacked by orcs. With Elrohir being seriously hurt, their only chance lies now in the hands of Aragorn and Legolas....but will they meet in time? Main Characters: Elladan, Elrohir, Aragorn, and Legolas.
E-mail: kaeerayahoo.de
Feedback: Always appreciated, and constructive criticism is very welcome.
Notes: Well people, this is it. The last chapter. Yep. You read correctly. Since I will go to Australia in a few weeks, I wanted to have this story finished before I leave, since I don't know if I'll be able to write while I am there (and if I'm not, then you would have to wait 11 months for the next month!). Since I didn't want to torture you any longer, I decided that this story had to end, somehow. I tried to make it as realistic as possible, but I have the distinct feeling that the ending comes a little bit too rushed. I'm very sorry for that.
I have nothing planned for the moment, so don't expect any new stories in the next two months. I will take a little break in the LotR fandom and maybe return to it later. But for now, I will enjoy my travelling experience in Australia. lol
by Kaeera
Chapter 17: Release and Celebrations
It was a few days after he remembered his mother that Elrohir found himself strolling alone through the garden yet again. Over a month had passed since his fateful accident and he still couldn't remember anything more than mere bits and pieces of his past. Still, the fact that he remembered his mother gave him hope, for it meant that his memory wasn't completely lost. Sooner or later, he would get it back, it was simply a matter of time.
For once, he didn't want to think about his past and his memory loss. The sun was shining outside and it was a wonderful day. Everyone seemed happy and elflings were playing in the snow.
Elrohir stretched out his arms and hummed a sweet melody as he stepped around a corner. Without warning, something collided with him. "Umph!" the air left his lungs in a whoosh as he staggered backwards, surprised by the sudden attack. "By the Valar…" He gasped angrily and looked around to find his attacker – but there no one around.
Confused, he scratched his head – then he heard a giggle below him. The tall elf looked down and saw two elflings grinning mischievously at him.
"Sorry, my lord." One of them said. "I wasn't looking when I ran around the corner."
"We did not mean to run into you." The other one added remorsefully, but the smile never left his face as he said it. It was clear that the two, although they never intended the accident, enjoyed the fact that they had caught a warrior by surprise.
A lopsided grin appeared on Elrohir's face. "It's all right, no harm was done. But tell me little ones, why do you run through the corridors?"
"We were just playing, my lord." The smaller brown haired elfling shrugged.
His fair haired friend explained it further. "We were racing. Demeal here said he was faster than me, so I told him to prove it. "
Elrohir was amused. "And who won?"
Two shrugs. "We don't know, we never finished the race."
"Because of me." Elrohir finally understood. "And what is your name, little one?"
"Banatel. Say…" his eyes grew huge in his small face. "Aren't you Elrohir, the son of Lord Elrond?"
"I am, why do you ask?"
The two elflings exchanged a glance. "Well…"Demeal began hesitantly. "We heard that you…uh, well, we heard about your accident. In the woods."
"Is it really true that you lost your memory?" Banatel whispered with elfling curiosity.
Elrohir winced inwardly. He had forgotten about his memory loss for a moment, but the innocent question was a sudden and painful reminder. He forced a smile to his lips. "Yes, it is true."
"That must be great!" the two said in unison, their voices tinged with awe.
"Great?" Elrohir blinked. Of all the words that could be used to describe his current state, 'great' certainly was not a word he would care to use. Odd might be more suitable, or perhaps bothersome, horrible, unbearable or tiresome would be better suited to describe his current predicament. But great was certainly not one of them!
"Of course!" noticing the confusion of the elder elf, Banatel began to explain. "You can play pranks on anyone and then just say you can't remember that you did it! No one will ever suspect a thing."
"Or you can be a totally different person!" Demeal interrupted, his face brightening. "It's almost as if you were granted a new life!"
"You can invent embarrassing stories about other elves and claim they have to be true, because you remember them!"
Both elflings snickered. "Or you can…"
"Enough, enough!" Elrohir laughed and held up his hands. "I must admit, I've never regarded the whole thing from this point of view before. I must admit, it sounds interesting."
It certainly sounded appealing. Although he couldn't remember, he had heard from countless stories (and complaints) from others what mischievous little troublemakers he and his twin had been when they were elflings. Playing a joke on Elladan, or on Legolas for that matter, was something that seemed…natural for him.
Nevertheless, Elrohir knew he could never play such a hurtful prank on his twin. The situation was too serious; Elladan was worried sick about him and he didn't want to make him worry more. But then again, maybe a little joke would lighten the mood.
He was unaware his smile broadened while the endless possibilities raced through his head. Demeal and Banatel exchanged a glance. They both liked this strange adult elfhe didn't seem as boring and stiff as other adults. In fact, there were quite a few stories floating around about Elrohir and his twin, Elladan. They were legendary among all the elflings, and many tried to copy their pranks..
"Do you want to play with us?" Demeal asked hopefully, tilting his head sideways.
Surprised, Elrohir shook off his wandering thoughts. "Play with you?"
"Sure!" Demeal beamed. If one of the Elven twins played with them, then they could brag about it to their friends. Oh, they would be so jealous… "We can race down the corridor, or we can play hide and seek, or something else…maybe climb on the roof, it's quite nice up there!"
"Demeal!" Banatel hissed, and too late, Demeal remembered they weren't actually permitted to climb on the roof – and he had just told an adult elf about it.
"Oops." He gulped and looked guiltily at his friend, who looked ready to kill him at that very moment.
But Elrohir didn't seem angry or concerned. In fact, a look of longing had appeared on his face. "The roof…" he murmured thoughtfully. "I haven't been up there for a long time." Then his eyes cleared and he looked at the two elflings again, a mischievous smile playing around his mouth.
"If you show me the way, I'll climb to the roof with you. And as long as you are careful, I won't tell anyone about it. I promise!"
Banatel's eyes widened. "That sounds great!!"
"Wonderful!" Demeal squealed, glad that his blunder wouldn't get his friend and him into trouble.
"Well, then let's go!" Elrohir grinned. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get up there."
He didn't need to say more. With a cry of joy, the two elflings began running ahead of him while he followed at a slower pace. He didn't really know why he wanted to go up there – he knew that it was a dangerous place for elflings – but the idea appealed to him, and for the first time in weeks, he was glad to do something that wouldn't remind him of his forgotten past.
To his surprise, Elrohir found that he remembered the narrow passages they passed through in order to reach the roof. Even the small window seemed familiar to him, and when they climbed up the wall, he had no trouble climbing at all, just the opposite, he found the handholds with ease, as if he had climbed this path many times before.
It was cold outside, but the sun was shining. They had to be careful for there was snow and ice everywhere, making the stones treacherous.
Finally, they reached the rooftop. It was like a different world. Far from the ground, there were little oriels, battlements, wooden struts, and here and there a small steeple. Everything was made beautifully. Running deer and flying birds were carved into the woodwork, so lifelike, they almost seemed alive. A light dusting of snow covered everything, and it glittered softly in the sunlight, giving the whole scene an ethereal look.
Elrohir stared in awe at everything in front of him. He knew – he didn't know how, but he just knew - that he had been here before, more times than he could ever hope to remember. Everything was familiar, every corner, ever little hiding place…and it gave him the warm feeling of home.
"Wonderful!" he breathed and smiled at the two elflings beside him.
"It is, isn't it?" Demeal said excitedly. "All the adults always tell us not to come here, but I bet they don't know how nice it is. All they think about is the dangers and stuff ."
"Well, thank you for the compliment." Elrohir replied dryly.
Their eyes widened. "We didn't mean you, of course!" Banatel immediately insisted.
"We think you and your brother are wonderful, we've heard so many stories about you! You're both so exciting. Most of our friends are idolizing you!"
Elrohir smiled, then sighed with a faraway look on his face. "Stories, huh?" There was it again, the painful fact that everybody knew more about him than he did, even these two little elflings. He wondered they'd heard, but decided not to ask. He was tired of hearing 'second-hand' stories of himself, so he decided not to ask any thing else until his memory returned on its own.
His gaze trailed over the roof, and a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. "You know, I feel like being an elfling again. Tell me, what do you usually play up here?"
"Hide and Seek." Banatel immediately replied and sent Elrohir a skeptical glance. "But you're way too big for that, and you don't know the good hiding places. It wouldn't be fun."
"Sometimes we race each other." Demeal suggested. "But I think the snow might make things too slippery."
"Race…" Elrohir's voice trailed off. Physical exercise was just what he wanted right now. Ever since he had awoken, everyone treated him as if he were made of glass. True, he had been very ill, but now he felt fine and sometimes he just wanted to do something. He would have loved to have gone hunting, just to see if he could still use his bow even without his memory. But his brother and father were both so overprotective, not to mention Estel and Legolas as well! They would never let him touch a weapon in his current state, much less use one!
Elrohir snorted. Even if he couldn't remember, he wasn't an Elfling and he certainly wouldn't shoot himself in the foot! Sometimes he felt like an elfling though he wasn't able to do the things he really wanted to do.
His family meant well, of course. They were just worried, and though he understood their reasoning, he still hated it when they smothered him. And it was even harder to be patient while they acted as if he had lost every shred of common sense along with his memory. Honestly…it was becoming extremely annoying.
The two elflings - Demeal and Banatel, if he remembered correctly- were a refreshing change in his very restricted life. The way they talked to him spoke of respect, and they accepted him as he was, without his memory, without his skills, just plain Elrohir.
That was something he missed, Elrohir suddenly realized. Being treated as an equal, being considered a competent warrior. Everyone felt the need to take care of him, but Elrohir didn't want that. He was his own person, and even when he couldn't remember things, he just knew – deep down in his heart – that he liked to be independent. Now he was dependent on others to help him and that bothered him to no end.
"Yes…let's race…" He whispered softly. He wanted to do something, wanted to run as far as his legs could carry him. Maybe he could leave all this behind and feel free for a little while.
"You really want to?" Demeal asked dubiously.
Elrohir smiled. "Yes."
The two elflings exchanged a surprised glance and then shrugged. "We usually start over there," Banatel explained and pointed to a small place not far away from them. "And then we race around the main building, over a part of the stables, along the library and then back here. Got it?"
"You have to pay attention so no one will see you, so stay away from the edge of the roof." Demeal added. "You are so big that every one might see you from down there."
Elrohir nodded, his eyes trailing over the course the elflings had set. "But I won't go easy on you!"
Banatel grinned. "We did not expect you to. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."
"And we love a good challenge." Their grins widened.
"All right. Let's start! I'm tired of standing around!"
The three walked over to the starting place and crouched down on the floor.
"Demeal will count down – from three to one, and when he reaches one, we will start." Banatel whispered. "Remember, don't get near the edge and be as quite as possible – otherwise someone might hear you."
"Got it."
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Can't wait to begin."
"Great. Well, then…three…two…, ONE!"
They jumped up and began running, the snow flying everywhere as they jumped over a small wooden bar. Elrohir felt a familiar rush of adrenaline pass through him, and the smile on his face widened. He didn't even look around for his little comrades, but concentrated on the race instead.
It was strange – his mind told him that he'd never been this way before, but his body reacted instinctively. It skidded around corners he hadn't even realized were there and found easy paths through the snow. He felt as if he'd been here before, that this wasn't his first race on the roof…and then everything else became so unimportant. Just the race mattered, the rush of air, his harsh breathing, and his concentration on the difficult trail in front of him.
He couldn't afford to look away, even for an instant, he was moving so quickly that even the slightest moment of inattention would spell disaster. But for the first time in days, no, in weeks, he felt so incredibly alive that a tear of joy ran down his face, freezing immediately in the cold winter air.
"I'm alive." He whispered and jumped down to a lower level, rolling over his back to absorb the impact. The two elflings were not far behind him, after all, they had the advantage of really knowing the roof, but Elrohir was, for the moment, in the lead.
He sped off, jumping over some kind of pit that could have easily broken his neck had he fallen into it, climbed up another roof and nearly slipped when he skipped around a corner too quickly. Fortunately, he was able to catch himself, and that fact alone filled him with joy. His instincts were still intact, even if his mind was not.
Elrohir shouted with joy, feeling happy and complete. If Elladan could see him right now, he would have been surprised at the smile that lit the younger twin's face aglow. A real smile, full of happiness and joy and something else that had missed during the whole time…
However, halfway through the race, something horrible happened. Elrohir was just jumping over yet another obstacle, when he suddenly saw something in front of his eyes that made him gasp in surprise.
In front of him were two elflings, running and shouting. At first he thought they were Banatel and Demeal, but then he realized they looked identical and resembled Elladan and himself.
"That's not possible…" he whispered and turned to follow them. They didn't seem to notice him as they continued their playful race, shoving each other and giggling madly when they managed to make the other one fall.
"Hey!" Elrohir called, but they didn't hear him. "Hey, wait a moment!"
No reaction. They just continued running away. Well, he couldn't let them get away that easily, after all, Elrohir was much faster than them, so he followed them.
Not for long, however. The two skidded to a stop just around the corner, out of his sight. Without warning, a sharp stabbing pain shot through his head, making his knees buckle under him. He sank to the ground, clutching his head in agony. A hot, searing pain was squeezing his head in a vice, blocking everything else out.
"No…" the elf moaned, his hands twitching. "Make it stop…"
But it didn't stop. Instead, it only became more intense and he saw pictures…flashes of people running through his head. It happened so fast that he couldn't make sense out of the images. People screamed, yelled, shouted at him, there were frantic screams of horses and someone crying, then a quiet voice soothed away his pain, only to be replaced by a nasty, gnarling voice commanding others to take him away with the other prisoners…
He saw people, saw himself and his brother as children, as young warriors, he saw his mother and was once again awed by her beauty, he saw his Adar, and Estel as a small child, so young and vulnerable, Legolas with flowers in his hair, Glorfindel, Erestor, Galadriel, Celeborn, so many, elves, humans, dwarves…
Elrohir whimpered and stumbled forward, not really seeing where he was going. He wanted the images to stop, they were making his head hurt. They went directly to his soul and oh, they hurt so much, please somebody, make it stop, it's too much, I can't bear it any longer…
"Don't go there!" somebody shouted in a frightened voice, but Elrohir was too far away to hear it. He continued to stumble forward, until the snow caved in under him and he suddenly fell downwards.
He screamed in terror and opened his eyes, only to find the white ground rushing towards him. Before he even understood what was happening, he felt a loud thud and then darkness took him.
"Elrohir! What are you doing in there? The sun is shining, the weather is great and you are reading? Honestly…come on, let's race down to the lake." A mischievous smile and face so very like his own. Elladan?
What…what is happening?
He felt the horse beneath him as he rode over an endless grassland. That
familiar rush of adrenalin surged through his body as he tried to escape his
followers. Once again he felt strangely alive, and the knowledge that those
behind him would bring only death made his wish to survive even greater.
What am I seeing?
He was little and he was crying. Why? He didn't remember, just that he felt
horrible despair, and something hurt. Then, suddenly, a face appeared in front
of him, the face of a smiling elven maiden with golden hair. She gathered him in
her arms and suddenly everything felt better and his crying subsided.
Could it be…?
"You attacked my brother! You will regret it! Elladan, are you okay? Elladan?
Can you hear me? Come on, please say something, open your eyes…please…ELLADAN!"
Could it really be…?
"I'm Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood."
"I'm Elrohir, son of Elrond. And who are you?"
Could it be that I'm…remembering?
"A-Aragorn." "Well, hello, Aragorn. Welcome to Imladris." "Where is my mother and father?" "They…they won't be able to join us. Your father died today, I'm sorry little
one. He was a great warrior. Your new home will be here now, and Elladan and I
will be your brothers. We swear that no harm will befall you as long as we are
here to protect you."
"Hello, little one. What is your name? You don't have to be afraid – no one will
hurt you."
These are…my memories…
A light is shining Leading your way Showing you a way out of the darkness A small, but gentle light And you You follow it
He couldn't have been unconscious for a long time. When he awoke, he was lying face down, in the snow, and the cold substance had gotten into his mouth and nose.
Elrohir coughed and sputtered ash e lifted his head and looked around. There was no one in the sight for he had fallen in a deserted passageway rarely used. What a luck, he thought relieved, after all, he would never live this down if anyone ever found out. Falling from the roof, really!
Slowly, he sat up, checking his body for injuries he was extremely glad to find nothing more than a few bruises. The snow had softened his fall, otherwise he probably would have broken his neck.
"Are you alright?" someone shouted, and Elrohir realized with a start that the shouting had been going on for quite a while now. Turning around, he saw Banatel and Demeal standing on the roof, looking down at him with terrified expressions.
He waved to them. "I'm all right, just a few bruises, don't worry."
They both looked immensely relieved. "Why did you fall down?" Banatel asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "You suddenly started acting strange and then you slipped. We told you not to go near the edge!"
"It wasn't your fault." Elrohir started to explain. "My head started hurting and suddenly…" His voice trailed off as he thought about what happened and more importantly, the images he had seen.
Looking down at his hands, he held his breath. "I'm Elrohir from Imladris. I prefer the bow to the sword. I like horses and often spend times in the stables. I like reading books, unlike my brother, who hates spending time indoors. I'm more skilled at healing than Elladan, yet he is more skilled with the sword." His eyes widened. "I remember…" Elrohir whispered in shock. "I remember everything…I know who I am!"
The joy that rushed through was nothing compared to the feeling of relief that overcame him. He was finally himself again, he was independent, he remembered, he had his memories back, all of them!
"Thank the Valar!" he shouted and grinned up at the two elflings, who were watching him skeptically. They probably thought the fall had done something to his head. "And thank you, both of you! If you hadn't taken me to the roof, I never would have remembered!" And much to the surprise of the two elflings, he bowed before them.
"Was he always this strange?" Demeal whispered perplexed, but Banatel only shrugged. Well, he had never understood adult elves anyway.
Elrohir got up and brushed the snow from his clothes: He waved one last time to the elflings and went to find his brother.
Elladan was lost deep in thought as he strolled through the corridor. Thus he was startled when Elrohir rushed towards him with a huge grin on his face.
Elladan blinked. "What happened to you?"
His twin was indeed a sight to behold. His normally neat hair was sticking out in all directions, and it was soaking wet. There was even snow all over his clothes and it was rapidly melting, soaking the elf in the process. But Elrohir didn't seem to care, instead he only continued to grin at his twin.
"Why are you so wet?"
"Oh, that." Elrohir looked down his clothes and seemed to take note of his state for the first time. "Ah, I fell off the roof."
Elladan's eyes nearly bulged. "You did WHAT?"
"Fell off the roof." Noticing Elladan's shocked expression, he shrugged it off. "I'm fine brother, the snow was soft and I didn't hurt myself, but something else happened, Elladan, let me tell you…"
The elder twin couldn't believe it. "What were you doing on the roof?" He interrupted roughly. "Don't you know that it is dangerous?"
Elrohir blinked, then started laughing. "You sound just like Adar, honestly. 'It is dangerous', really – after all the times we've been up there ourselves, and as far as I recall, it was always you who insisted we climb up there."
"Yes, well, that was different." Elladan immediately defended himself. "I always knew my way around, while you…" He narrowed his eyes. "Wait…I never told you that. How…"
Elrohir's grin became broader, and Elladan's eyes widened. "You…remember?"
"Well…yes, you could say that."
"You remember everything? Even when we were elflings?"
"Hmm, let's see…" Elrohir lay a finger on his lips, still smiling. "Well, I do remember that you desperately wanted me to cut your hair once, and because we could not find scissors, we used Glorfinde's hunting knife…which, of course, embedded itself somehow in the skin of my arm and hurt immensely. And I remember that you stole my books once and threw them in the river because you wanted me to play with you. I was very angry because of that, and I spoke no word with you for the next three days."
Elladan let out a cry of joy and threw his arms around his brother. "YOU REMEMBER!"
Later, he wouldn't be able to describe what he was feeling at that very moment. Happiness, relief, delight, all those emotions were flooding through him and it seemed as if he would burst any moment. He laughed and hugged his twin, unable to utter a coherent sentence. Weeks of worry were forgotten at the joyous news. His twin was finally whole again.
It took the two brothers some time to calm down, but when they did, Elrohir told the whole story from beginning to end. His twin listened carefully and shook his head when he finally reached the part about his little 'accident'.
"You could have died, you know?"
Elrohir nodded. "Yes, I do know. But I didn't, instead my memory was returned to me. I guess sometimes in life you need to take risks."
"Yes. Yes, that might be true." Elladan agreed. "We should thank those two elflings. After all, it was because of them that you were even on the roof in the first place. Maybe we could give them a present."
"That's a very good idea." The younger twin laughed. "But I suggest we do it after we've told the others the news."
"That's right. Let's go and find Adar."
Later that day, laughter filled the halls. Elrohir's good news traveled fast and by supper time, every elf knew about the welcome turn of events. Of course, it was also a good reason for a much needed celebration. Preparations for a big feast started, and since the twins were well-known and liked, everyone was only too glad to help.
Banatel and Demeal were invited to sit with Elrond and his family at their table, much to the delight of their families, and as a thank-you gift, they both received wonderfully carved daggers. They were too small for actual swords, Elrohir told them secretly, but as soon as they had grown enough, he would personally take part in their training. They were both delighted.
It was an evening full of laughter, and Elrohir, happy beyond measure, told embarrassing story after embarrassing story about his twin. Soon Aragorn and Legolas, who were sitting with the twins, found themselves howling with laughter. Not only because the stories were funny, but because they finally had Elrohir back. Although no one wanted to admit it, Elrohir had been different since he'd lost his memory. The usually cheerful twin grew subdued and morose, and it had been nearly impossible to make him smile.
Now he was laughing freely and the old sparkle was back in his eyes. This fun loving elf had been missed.
Elladan was so glad to have his twin back that he didn't object when he was the target of Elrohir's stories. He simply laughed along with everyone, feeling that he could endure anything as long as his 'Ro was by his side.
"It seems as if the accident never happened." Glorfindel whispered to Elrond, who was watching the three elves and human fondly.
"Yes." He agreed. "They're already putting it behind them."
Glorfindel smiled wistfully. "Well, everything's has turned out fine in the end. I'm glad."
"Me too, my friend, me too." Elrond agreed and sipped his wine. "Alas, we both know that this peacefulness won't last very long. When do they leave for their next hunting trip?"
"Not soon enough, though when they do go, I'm sure they will return wounded and battered yet again. Trouble seems to follow them everywhere." Glorfindel concluded. "Sometimes I wonder why we let them go."
"Because we did the same thing when we were their age, mellon nin."
"Really?" A lopsided grin appeared on Glorfindel's face. "As far as I remember, I was not that bad. The twins and Estel manage to get hurt regularly."
Elrond sighed and closed his eyes. "I don't want to think of that. They are here and they are safe. And as long as they are here, I won't worry about the future, surely that will certainly give me gray hairs."
"True." The blonde elf nodded. "Well, then let's celebrate." He lifted his wine glass. "To Elrohir!"
Elrond tapped his friend's glass gently with his own and smiled softly. "To the health of our loved ones. May no harm befall them."
They both looked at the laughing young warriors on the other side of the table. It seemed as if Estel was having a lively discussion with Legolas, while Elrohir conversed quietly with Banatel and Demeal. Elladan, on the other hand, was busy sneaking salt into ELrohir's wine glass – probably as rebvenge for the worry his twin had caused him. All in all, it was a typical day.
Elrond smiled. 'May the Valar give us many more of these typical days.'
Fin.
. . .
What do you think? Was it too rushed? Was it stupid? The idea with the two elflings suddenly popped into my head - I didn't want to use the usual way of getting the memory back. But maybe this method is too unusual...I have no idea. However, reviews and comments would be much appreciated!
I don't know if I will write an epilogue or not. It depends on my mood. However, if I'll ever write one, I'll send you an e-mail and let you know.
Vicki Turner - Sorry to leave you waiting that long, but at least, the story has come to an end now. No more waiting! lol Australia is a very interesting continent. I will live near Melbourne, near the coast, so I guess I will spend much time in this city.
CzechChicka - Your name reminds me of my holidays...I spent them in Prague, a wonderful city. You can get cheap cocktails there, and boy, they are good!
NightShadow131 - You like how i describe things? Well, I hate describing things. I never know the words! It can get so frustrating...At least Elrohir will be happy now. He has his memories back! After 17 chapters! Phew...took quite some time.
Celestra - It is true, West Side story is based a little bit on Romeo and Juliet. Two rivaling families/clans and a young love...I've seen the Harry Potter movie, but I can't remember the witches chant...frowns Well, I only have seen it once so far. I like the books more. Gah, can you imagine? In less than three weeks I will fly to Australia!!! Wow...
Netty/Firnsarnien - As always, I have to thank you for the excellent work. You are really a wonderful beta and I appreciate what you are doing! Thank you! hugs Nefcairiel - The personalities of the twins just developed like that in the story...funny, huh? They are twins, yet they are very different in character. Maybe it is because my father is a twin. He and my uncle are nothing alike! I always wondered how that could be...Anyway, I'm glad that you liked the story.
Iawen Londea - Finally an update, huh? You had to wait for a long time. I hope that it wasn't to quick, but I really wanted to end this story before I leave. I've no idea if I'll be able to write in Australia, and I didn't want to let you wait any longer...sighs
First Mate - Well, here you have your happy end! I love them, too, although sometimes, I wrote stories without an Happy End. Although
I haven't done it in a LotR fanfic so far. And angst is goooood....smiles evilly
I thank everyone for reviewing. Your praise and support kept this fanfic going, so thank you!