An End

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For a moment he did not recognize the elf standing in the hallway. Pain and anger had changed his face since last Elrond had seen him, and his blue eyes had turned dark with grief. He looked old now, older than he should be if one should count his years. Old and pale and hurt.
It pained Elrond to see him this way.

He had been such a happy child.
They had both been such happy children, Dan and Ro…
"Elladan," he spoke softly. "I am glad you have returned."

The elf standing in the hallway only shook his head. "I am only here to bring the boy. I must be on my way soon. There are orcs to hunt."
"My son, there will always be orcs to hunt."

Elrond watched the stains on the shirt Elladan was wearing. Black blood was mixed with red blood, old stains from slain enemies and friends. Nothing was left of the white colour the shirt had once had. No embroidered heraldry had remained to mark the elf as one born in Imladris.

"They killed Arathorn. "
"Elladan…"
"He must be avenged."
"The life of one cannot be paid with the blood of others, little one. Do not degrade the value of your dead friend's life with the orcs you slay."

Elrond looked at the elf that was his son and wished he would not take the sins of the world on his shoulders. His son's shoulders were kept down by the load of sadness he bore. The weight of the small boy in his arms was nothing compared to the weight of the death of the small boy's father.

Elrond knew why the boy had been brought here.

His son had needed a safe place, a roof over the head of his friend's son, a healer that could understand the boy's loss…
Elladan must have thought it was something that Elrond could provide.

The elf lord reached out for the infant. "This must be little Aragorn then." He gently placed the sleeping child into his hands. "Little Aragorn, hope of all mankind… his voice trailed off as he watched the boy. Once he had held the tall elf in front of him the same way...
Long ago.
Things had changed so much since then…

"Elladan… where is your brother?" If they were going to disappear again… if they were going to leave him once more, he would want to see his youngest before they went.

"Gilraen and Ro were wounded in the attack. They had to move more slowly."
Elrond could see his son shiver at his own words.
"Elrohir was hurt?"

"A wound to the leg. An orc got to him. I could not prevent it."

Elrond could see the shoulders of his son drop further and his heart bled.
"Dan… Sit with me, little one." The elf lord placed the human boy carefully on one of the sofas and sat beside him, carefully leaving space for his eldest son.
The elf first looked at the door and then back at his father.
"I should…"
"You should sit with your father. I have not seen you in a long time and I have some things I must tell you."

In his heart Elrond begged his son to change back into the boy he had been so long ago, when he had still been small enough to listen to his parents. When he still came to him every time he was hurt. Back when Elrond was still able to solve his hurts with a kiss and a story…

Back when Celebrian had still been there.

Her captivity had robbed him of all of them. His sons' revenge had kept them from ever going home. Like he had said; there were always orcs to kill. There would always be orcs to kill…

Elrond barely knew the elf in the doorway...
And yet he did.

"Elladan, you cannot take the world upon your shoulders."

His son looked at the doorway once more, as if he would rather move away... but something kept him standing where he was.

"Your mother's leaving was not your fault, little one, nor was it your brother's, nor mine. You do not have to pay for her life. Not in orcblood, she would not want that. It is not worthy of her memory."
Even now that he could not see his son's face, Elrond could see he had caused his son great pain by mentioning his mother. Even after all those years…
He still thought he was guilty of her death.

"Elladan. Please… Come here. Look at the boy whose life you have saved. Please... before you run off again... Just look at him one more time. The son of your friend...
You saved him Elladan. You did not fail him."

"I failed to save Arath.."

"But you saved his son! And with him Arathorn's dreams for the future! This boy, this boy you saved, is not just a boy, he was your friend's heart. Your friend's hope, and you, you saved all that! So don't you go telling me you failed your friend.

And as for your mother…"
"Ada… I…"
"As for your mother. You were her hope. You and Ro and Arwen. You were her future, and you were the reason she smiled every day, from the minute you where born until the day she sailed.
And all you did with her dreams so far was chase orcs.
Well, Elladan… it is over now.

You will go out of that door, you will find your brother and you will tell him it is over!

And then you will come back here, you and Ro and the little boy over there and I will teach the three of you what you should have understood right away!

That no matter what sad things happen, no matter what terror crossed your path, there are still things to be thankful for.

And you know you will listen to me, boy.
You owe it to your mother.

There is only one way to repay her for the loss of her life after all, Elladan. And that is by living yours."

The Beginning.