Leaving Sirion by Aprilertuile

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Leaving Sirion

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The company left Sirion behind.

Maedhros was riding in front; Maglor was riding not far from him, a guard at his side. In front of him on his horse, Maglor held one of the twin children of Elwing, and the guard held the second.

The children were turned toward each other and seemed to be in shock. To be fair, they had more than one reason to be in shock now, and Maglor couldn't fault them for it.

They rode as long as they dared to, finding a place to make a temporary camp for the night.

There, they prepared a pyre and burnt the bodies of the few people they had decided to bring with them.

The Ambarussa, Maedhros' previous captain... A couple of others.

Maglor left the children under the watch of a couple guards, while he attended his own brother, and took care of their siblings' pyre.

"Are you injured? Maedhros asked his brother as they stood next to the roaring fire of the pyre.

-No. Just scratches and bruises. I'd ask you but you wouldn't tell me if you were injured, would you?"

Maedhros shrugged at that.

“Yes, that's what I thought.

-Tomorrow we must leave at the first hour. Let's avoid any more confrontation while we can." Maedhros ordered before falling silent.

Maglor went and gave orders so everyone would be prepared in time the following morning, and his captain reported for those on guard duty.

Once that done, Maglor went to check quickly on the children who were gathered under the same blanket in a guarded tent, and went back to his brother, with whom he stayed until there were nothing but ashes of the pyres.

"Come brother, we don't have long to rest now before morning comes; you need to at least lie down for a bit."

Maedhros followed his brother without saying a word, and laid down near a fire. Oh neither of the brothers had any illusion, neither of them would fall asleep, but at least they could rest for a bit.

"Did you remember to feed your new project? Maedhros asked suddenly.

-... "

Maglor rose in a rush and went to see the guards at the entrance of the kids' tent. The two guards exchanged looks at that and one of them went to pick up a couple of lembas and came back in the tent, leaving the food at hand for the kids.

It's a sheepish looking Maglor who came back to his brother.

"And you really think you should keep them? Maedhros asked bitingly.

-It'll be an adjustment, agreed, but what do you want me to do? Leave them out for the orcs and wargs? Abandon them to die of hunger and whatnot depending on whether or not Gil Galad and Cirdan will come to help the survivors and will want to bother with a couple of potentially orphaned kids?

-Kids are always an adjustment to make brother. But those two are of a species we don't even know, of a family that's a plague to start with, and we have other, bigger, subjects of preoccupations, as proven by yourself a moment ago.

-Nelyo, you're my brother and I love you, but those children are under my protection. I won't abandon them now. Give up that argument."

Maedhros huffed at that but fell back into silence.

Maglor sighed, and started humming under his breath, thinking, trying to find the best solutions for all four of them right now. Clearly his brother wasn't ready to welcome the kids yet. And probably neither were the kids ready to see them as anything but monsters.

He couldn't fault the kids for that, to be honest.

Besides, Maedhros was wrong. It wasn't the children's faults if Ambarussa was dead. It was their own people that killed the twins.

And quite honestly it was also their own fault. If they, themselves, had found the will to stop the twins from their decision to turn to that Silmaril, if they hadn't let themselves be convinced it was a good idea and a first step into saving the fëar of their family...

Cursed be their oath. If it hadn't involved the everlasting darkness in the first place, neither Maedhros nor him would bother...

Well...

Neither Maedhros nor himself would still be alive probably for they'd have given in the compulsion to get to the Silmarils and would have attacked Morgoth and ended it all long ago.

Maglor swore to himself to take his father to task for that frankly horrendous oath whenever he'd die, for there was no doubt in his mind that he would die sooner than Maedhros, their respective skills being what they were.

Their father might have been a genius but he could be a complete idiot at times and that oath was the proof of it.

Maglor shivered, both at the chill those thoughts instilled in him, and for the cold of the wind.

He and Maedhros stayed there until nearly dawn, Maedhros lying on the floor, eyes on the fire in front of them, eyes dry, like he had no more tears to shed, and Maglor sitting next to him, humming sad melodies under his breath, but unable to think of an appropriate mourning song, himself feeling too drained to feel much of anything really.

It was shock perhaps.

By morning, Maglor rose and started giving orders in the camp, and Maedhros cleared his throat stopping him when he was going to see with the only stable master left to them.

"I think you're forgetting something again brother. You know the thing. Don't take the risk of making me their primary caretaker by just forgetting they exist, you wouldn't like the result. And it's the last warning I give you. Next time they can starve for all I care."

Maglor winced at that even as the stable-master gave him a sympathetic look.

"Right, I'll leave you to arrange things then.

-Yes, go see to your new pet project. And remember to clean them at some point, and to feed and water them before we actually need to go."

Maglor rolled his eyes at that but went to pick up food and water, to share with the kids, and entered the tent.

It took longer than Maedhros appreciated but finally the kids were ready to go, and so was Maglor.

"Brother, can one of them ride with you?

-That's a definitive no.

-I can't saddle the guards with...

-Nolindo!" Maedhros called, interrupting his brother.

An elf with dark long hair and a dark non descript armor came running at that:

"I'm afraid my father fell during the attack of Sirion my lord.

-... I'm sorry to hear that, Erestor. My sympathy for your loss. Can you take up your father duties for the moment?

-I... Yes my lord.

-Good. No doubt you heard about my brother's pet project here, he needs someone to keep one of the kids under control while we ride, can you find someone?

-I can take one of the children with me on my horse, my lord.

-Thank you Erestor, you have my apologies for the inconvenience. Maglor noted.

-It's no inconvenience my lord."

Erestor mounted his horse, and Maglor lifted one of the children in front of him, before putting the second child on his own horse and getting on the horse behind him.

They rode carefully but quickly enough, careful to send scouts ahead of them to check for a useable and safe passage.

The twins never actually lost sight of one another.

They stopped riding when night started to fall, stopping in an area that had been safe during their ride toward Sirion, but that now had traces that Maedhros really didn't like.

They only stopped to give the horses a rest, in order to not kill them riding, but Maedhros set up a solid guard roster, and they kept everyone who was vulnerable in the center of the camp.

Maglor and Maedhros kept carefully their weapons at hand while keeping their fire alive.

That was until a guard who had been posted at the children's tent came running:

"My lords, the children!

-What ? Maedhros snapped, unhappy.

-They've disappeared.

-What? What do you mean, they disappeared?

-They. They're gone? They're nowhere to be seen."

Maglor jumped to his feet and ran after the guard toward the tent, and Maedhros grinded his teeth at that.

When he'll put his hand on those kids...

He rose to his feet and gave strict orders, himself going out of the camp looking for traces. The children were probably trying to go back to Sirion, meaning they were trying to retrace their steps. So hopefully he'd find traces of them around...

He heard a scream, from a young voice, and ran toward the source, sword in hand, and arrived just in time to see the twins running in his direction, a giant spider behind them, another on the trees above them, following them.

Maedhros was quick enough to step between the children and the spiders who hesitated in front of him.

The two spiders retreated as Maglor joined him in a run, guards with him.

Seeing the danger gone, Maedhros turned and caught one of the children by the arm, making him cry in fright.

"The next time you dare being that stupid, you sad draft of a child, I'll leave you to deal with the results alone, and I will risk neither my people nor my brother to save you. Am I clear? Maedhros hissed in Sindarin so the children would understand.

-Y.Y.

-I said. Am. I. Clear?

-Yes.

-Maedhros, let the child go."

The red-head hissed at his brother but let go of the child's arm and the kid scrambled back toward Maglor, stopping in his sibling's arms, obviously terrified of him.

"Let's go back to the camp, before the spiders come back."

They did, and Maglor let Maedhros give orders just in case the spiders would come back, as they had confirmation that they were close, and went to the center of the camp, to check on the children's health, and perhaps push them to sleep with a song if necessary.

"What were those? The child that Maedhros had caught by the arm asked.

-Giant spiders. They're creatures of Morgoth and they're everywhere in Beleriand. Giant spiders, wargs, orcs, fell spirits, fell creatures in general. The land isn't safe.

-... Sirion was safe.

-Sirion was very much not safe or we wouldn't have been able to attack it!" Maedhros claimed loudly and sharply from where he stood with Erestor and a couple of others.

Maglor sighed as both children had the same reaction of fear at that.

"Look, my brother is right, crude, but right. Sirion wasn't safe, the borders of the city were easily breached, there's enough orcs, goblins and wargs around the territory of Sirion that sooner or later you'd have faced them.

-We never. There never was... Mother said we were safe. That the stone kept us safe.

-And the stone helped so much when we attacked didn't it? Maedhros answered severely.

-...

-My father created the Silmarils. They're pretty, but they're just jewels. They can't save anyone. Indeed they never saved anyone, ever. Don't let an object entrance you so much that you let it give you the illusion of safety. Only yourself can provide for your own safety. A jewel can never do that for you.

-A bit deep a lesson, for 6 years old pests, don't you think? Maedhros snorted.

-And how old were you exactly when atar started to teach you things in the forge?

-Mostly he taught me not to touch things in the forge at that point, as I recall.

-Then consider this the Beleriand equivalent of the "don't touch things in there or else" discourse."

Maedhros snorted at that and Maglor turned back toward the children in front of him.

"Look children, the point is, there's this kind of creatures all the way between us and Sirion. If you go without us, it won't take them much to find you and catch you. If you want to live, don't escape again.

-He wants us dead! One of the twins accused, pointing a finger at Maedhros.

-Quite frankly, I wouldn't cry over their corpses indeed. Maedhros muttered in Quenya. 

-Nelyo! Maglor snapped.

-They know it, Laurë, there's no point in me sugarcoating it. I don't like them, I don't want them here and if by case something did happen to them I wouldn't exactly mourn them.

-You're a dick.

-Aha, brother, watch your mouth in front of your wards."

Maglor rolled his eyes at that.

"You're in a mood, brother, desist.

-At least Tyelko only ever brought back animals he could take care of. Maedhros mused.

-Eru's name, Nelyo! Maglor snapped definitively unhappy.

-They need to understand that they're not safe. Not here, not in Sirion and not in Cirdan's harbor. There are risks everywhere. And that, yes, they don't just have allies everywhere they go. Besides, they're not entirely stupid and they understand perfectly well that I don't like them or their family.

-Don't blame children for the sins of the parents.

-We were blamed from day one for the sin of being our parents' children. Besides, they blame our father for our own deeds, don't they? They turned our father into some kind of demon in their stories, no? Why shouldn't I take the same liberties? Maedhros answered with a malicious grin.

-Once upon a time when Tyelko asked you the same question, you told him that there was no point encouraging that kind of behavior by copying it.

-I was a fool.

-Nelyo.

-Fine, coddle your new project, but I'll keep my word to them. They try to escape again, I won't risk anyone, not even you, to save them. They leave? They can die alone. Now they're warned."

Maglor huffed at that.

"You have no right to stop me if I decide to go look for them in the event they get lost again.

-No? Have you forgotten your oath of loyalty?"

Maedhros looked darkly amused even as Maglor was obviously grinding his teeth.

"You feel hurt." One of the children noted, looking at Maedhros with eerily bright eyes, and his thumb in his mouth.

His brother looked panicked for a moment and pulled him behind Maglor's legs to put the adult between Maedhros and them.

Maedhros and Maglor exchanged a look at that.

"You might want to check with them how exactly they managed to bypass our guards, because I have a sudden bad feeling about that." Maedhros noted in Quenya for his brother.

Maglor grimaced but nodded. They had the same bad feeling about that.

"I'm afraid I'll get nowhere so long you're here and glaring at them.

-Fine. But don't think I'll let you make a habit of chasing me away for their sake.

-You could be nicer, they wouldn't fear you quite so much. They're not their parents, and neither are they Luthien, Thingol or Dior. The fault of their ancestors isn't theirs.

-Yet."

Maglor rolled his eyes at his brother's retreating back and looked at Erestor who was standing there looking absolutely mortified to have been witnessed of that conversation.

"I apologize for this scene Erestor, I'm afraid my brother is in a mood and I'm only worsening it at the moment.

-It's... Alright."

Maglor turned toward the children, who were watching like hawks his brother who was walking toward his captain to warn him that he'd join the guard roster temporarily.

"Children?"

Only one of the two turned toward him.

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask. How did you leave the camp?

-I didn't want people to see us, and so people didn't, and we left." The child answered with a shrug, like it was a normal occurrence.

Erestor stood there gaping at that and Maglor winced.

"I... See. So you and your brother just... Willed yourselves unnoticeable? Maglor asked.

-No. I did.

-Your brother... Can't do it?

-Nuhu. He can. He just didn't."

Maglor found himself at a loss as to what to answer to that and wishing his brother was there to help. Then again considering his brother's current mood, it was perhaps better that he wasn't participating to that conversation.

The child stayed there looking at him a moment and then:

"We want to go back home."

His voice was powerful though the compulsion behind it was not very trained yet, which was, perhaps, for the best, admittedly.

"I'm afraid child, that you can't convince me that way yet."

The child frowned at him at that.

"Sorry, I'm sure one day it'll work, but alas not right now. And I suggest you don't try that on my brother, you wouldn't like the consequences. Can you tell me your names? Maglor asked.

-Elros. My brother is Elrond.

-Thank you, Elros. I'll try to remember.

-How much more powerful do you think I'd need to be to convince you "that way"? Elros asked looking curious but clearly with something in mind.

-Far more.

-Like... Twice more?

-I'm not doing it. Elrond intervened suddenly, turning toward them finally, making Elros look up with a surprised face.

-What?

-His brother would kill us for that! I'm not doing it.

-We could take him.

-Then it's him who'd want to kill us." Elrond noted pointing at Maglor.

That had Elros take a shocked breath.

"He doesn't want us dead. You said so.

-If you attack my brother or me, I will. Cut in Maglor firmly, wondering suddenly how bad an idea taking the children actually was.

-But. But I just want to go home! Elros shouted, giving everyone around them a serious headache, countered swiftly by Maglor's voice:

“There's no home waiting for you. It's gone."

There was a silent exchange between the children and both children started crying, Maglor finding himself with a lapful of peredhil without quite knowing how or when he sat or took them in his arms altogether.

Maedhros not too far looked like he was itching to hit something, and everyone around them looked spooked.

Alright, perhaps Maedhros had been right, and the children were not elven. Also perhaps, but that Maglor would certainly not admit it aloud, he was also right that keeping them was a bad idea and perhaps they should have... Left them in Sirion with the refugees. They were a few survivors that had taken refuge on the beach after all...

Well, too late to do anything about it now, if they retraced their steps, chances were that they'd find either no one left or an army waiting. And neither was good news.

Besides, what he had told Maedhros was still true. If or when Elwing came back, with the children they'd have possibilities to discuss the Silmaril's ownership.

Though, should he discuss with Elrond about something called privacy and how to not ever try to read Maedhros ever again? Or whatever it was that this twin did?

Maglor decided to wait a bit for that conversation. He had a feeling that the adjustment was going to be big for all of them.

Soon the children cried themselves to sleep and Maedhros came back toward them.

"So? Maedhros started, arms crossed over his chest.

-I'm not saying it... But...

-Yeah, I thought so. Line of thrice be cursed Luthien, hm?

-Yes, well, they're children, they can still learn.

-You think I'm deaf? They were outright discussing influencing your mind so you'd obey them, brother.

-They merely wanted me to bring them back to Sirion, they don't... They don't realize what they were saying.

-You're giving them too much credit. If they hadn't been afraid of me, they'd have tried it.

-But they were afraid of you and they didn't take over my mind.

-Yes? When did you sit, brother?

-... How about we skip that particular question?

-They're unnatural creatures.

-They're children. And I'll remind you that *some* at court were afraid when I was born because allegedly I broke things with my voice alone and they didn't know how to deal with that in the palace. Should I have been put to death then?

-Oh please, it was the court, half of the courtiers were brain dead. And they forgot their fears quickly enough once you started singing and learnt to be your charming self. Maedhros snorted, dismissive.

-Yes, so why shouldn't those children be given a chance to learn?

-At 6 you already knew not to try to use your voice to force people to rally to you.

-Because amil knew how to teach us. It looks like Elwing was an incompetent mother on that front. Should we blame the children for that? Elven majority is 50, brother. They're 6.

-Their parents had kids at about 29 or 30, did they not? Maedhros snorted.

-Teenage romance turned badly? Look teenage pregnancy can happen no?

-More like the parents are both half mortals and they were adults by then.

-Funny, I never discussed the particular of half-elven physical evolution with Eärendil.

-Fine, neither of us can be sure our theory is the right one, but you can't say it's impossible.

-And even if at 20 something they became adults, which I find doubtful considering the level of maturity of both parents, but let's pretend: 20 years of age they're adult, those two are 6 years old. Even by that standard, it's grossly underage.

-Fine. But if they do try to influence you, or I, over, I will kill them, and no amount of pleading can save them, understood?"

Maglor nodded at that.

That was going to make their lives... interesting for the foreseeable future. He could feel it.

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Chapter End Notes

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