The Elros interlude by Aprilertuile

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Elros interlude

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The celebration of the previous day had been the best, and for once they didn't have to worry about supplies or attacks or the like.

Most of the celebrations had felt like pure madness, it had been absolutely exhilarating. Also the amount of alcohol they had at hand had been highly surprising for a large group of refugees and an army...

The rush of the celebration was only temporary of course but it was good while it lasted. Elros had no idea how much time had actually passed. Night has gone, day came and more or less went as well, lost in alcohol, music, dance, laughter...

Elros had come back to the tent he shared with Elrond at one point during the day _or was it early night? Late afternoon?_ far too drunk and fell asleep on the first cot in sight.

As Elrond hadn't thrown him on the floor, Elros guessed groggily when he next woke up that it had been the right bed.

Or possibly that his brother hadn't minded to sleep in the other bed. Or that his brother had done like some of the other elves did and found a place to sleep outside.

That'd be humorous at least. First action as an actual elf: sleep outside under the stars. Elrond would never hear the end of it if he did, Elros promised himself.

He rose and looked around, but didn't see either his brother or breakfast. Oh someone would definitively be teased for his lack of care for his poor ailing brother. Of course, Elros could imagine already Elrond's wry argument along the lines of: "you chose to drink to the point of stupidity; you can assume the consequences, brother."

So it's grinning and imagining the argument that Elros rose and left the tent in search of food, finding Gil Galad already at work.

"Your highness. Elros called teasingly, making Gil Galad smile.

-Good morning Elros. Nice to see you up. Was Elrond in the tent? The healers were looking for him. It seems he missed his shift yesterday.

-He wasn't there."

Elros was suddenly seized by a bad feeling and ran to the tent, looking for his brother's bag. He found his new cloak _a gift from Celeborn_, and a few books, but he didn't care much about those. And however carefully he looked, his brother's bag was gone.

Elrond was gone.

"He's surely still asleep somewhere or celebrating with friends, he had friends in the other camps I believe, no? Gil Galad offered soothingly.

-You don't understand he took his bag, he..."

Eonwë appeared near them then.

"Lord Ulmo sent me with a message.

-My brother is missing, does he know where he... 

-Your brother left of his own volition. He is now safe with a trusted guardian.

-Great, then tell me where he is and I'll go and get him.

-Your brother tried to die yesterday, Earendillion. His guardian will keep him safe and see to it that his fëa heals in time. It would be unwise now to go in search of him. Eonwë answered.

-What?! Elros asked in a breathy voice, clearly shocked.

-Can you... Explain that?

-The child spent too much of himself in healing these last few years, that injured his Fëa. He pushed too far, too much, too fast for himself, particularly it appears, with the elves returned from Thangorodrim. And when the choice of the peredhel came upon them... The sundering of the natural bound he shared with his brother hurt him."

Elros looked frozen in shock at that revelation.

"He said nothing.

-There's nothing you could have done, child.

-I'm his brother. Of course I could...

-You can't reach his fëa anymore. Not as things stand.

-And whose fault is that? I could have kept my gifts...

-You had your own ideas when you chose a mortal life, and those ideas imprinted their new reality in you. You sundered yourself from your brother. The bare choice only affected the way you would age and face the world. The disappearance you perceived of your gifts is born of you, not my lords and ladies." Eonwë said in a neutral voice.

Elros looked hurt at that for a moment.

"Elrond is my brother. He needs me. Tell me where he is.

-The child's current guardian has his trust, and his love, and has the best chances at helping him. You have your people to lead, Elros Eärendillion. A duty that you can't just throw away now.

-Who is Elrond's guardian then? Perhaps they could just come back together? Gil Galad asked, even as Celeborn and Galadriel joined them.  

-The child's guardian wouldn't be welcome among your people.

-Only the kinslayers would.... Ah. He found Maedhros and Maglor then, I suppose.

-Maedhros Fëanàrion is dead, as I already informed you. Eonwë answered patiently.

-That leaves Maglor.

-Yes.

-He's a kinslayer.

-And the love Maglor Feanàrion and Elrond Peredhel share is the only reason why the child is still alive right now. If you force them apart, the child will fade and there's nothing you will be able to do about it.

-I...

-I understand that wartime brings a lot of troubles, but there's nothing between Elrond Peredhel and anyone of you here, save his brother. Professional relationships aren't enough to keep a fëa alive when injured.

-He's my brother, my twin! I wouldn't...

-In your brother's mind your greatest reward in life is to get rid of him definitively, as it's what you chose by accepting as yours the gift of men. That's one of the things he told his guardian, according to lord Ulmo.

-No! That's not... That's not it at all! Elros protested weakly from shock.

-True or not, that's what the child believes, what he lives by, and right now, the one he needs is at his side. Lord Ulmo will not let you find them, even if you go after them.

-But wouldn't it be easier if Elros was there to tell him the truth? Explain his reasons? Gil Galad asked.

-If the child's fëa was less injured perhaps. Right now, he's not well, and it would do naught, according to lady Estë."

Elros looked hurt at the news.

“Can I get my gifts back? Elros asked, obviously thinking up a plan of action.

-Your gifts aren’t gone. You only blocked them yourself when you made your choice.” Eonwë answered before he disappeared.

Gil Galad looked tired.

"Well... I'll warn the healers that your brother will stay gone for a while.

-That's all it's doing to you?

-Your brother chose to go, Elros. Right now, we have the valar's assurance that he's safe and that we won't find them. I can pull no miracle on that, so yes, it's all it's doing to me because there's nothing I can do, nothing I can change, and a lot more people to take care of than a single rebellious elf.

-He's alone with a kinslayer!

-I thought your brother and you liked the brothers?  

-He stole my brother!"

Ereinion looked tired, and it’s Galadriel who answered Elros:

"Did he? Or was he just led at the right place at the right time to save your brother?"

Elros frowned at her for that.

"My brother is out there, with Maglor for all company, and anything could happen...

-And Ulmo sent the warning that he won't let us find them. It's a done deal Elros. All you and I can do now is ensure the healers aren't a man short unexpectedly and can compensate for your brother's departure, until your brother chooses to come back, if ever.

-And if he never chooses to?

-Then it'd be his choice. Would you rather keep your brother in chains at your feet, like a slave knowing he'll never be happy, and may well keep seeking death if nothing changes, or until his fëa just flees his body?"

Elros found himself frowning, all the joy of the victory and of his choice driven out of him by the news.

"He's my twin... We weren't supposed to be separated.

-You're the king of men and going to live on an island far from Middle-Earth, what did you think would happen?

-I had my reasons.

-No one understands those reasons, peredhel, apparently including your brother. You chose to die forever. No chance of ever see your family again. It's an unnatural choice that... Gil Galad started.

-One, you don't get to judge me for my choice. Two, I chose to escape an immortal life of barely living in wait for the next disaster. Dare to tell me you wouldn't do the same in my stead!

-I like living.

-You call that living? Not a week ago Oropher threw at Celeborn's face accusations from something he allegedly did several hundred years ago. Where's the evolution in that? What, in a thousand years you'll be so bored that you'll hate someone just because they stole your breakfast bread today? Great life right there.

-Some societies are less open to change than others, it doesn't mean that all elven societies are…

-And you think I haven't watched and listened to you lot? You think it escaped my notice that you all yearn for a paradise that you call perfect but was marred from the start? Only people were so happy with their illusion of safety and happiness that they didn't know what to do when a woman died or a Vala went around spreading lies and deceit. Not one of them knew how to deal with things because they were so happy living a freaking lie!

-First, I wasn't actually there so...

-And you think I'm blind about what happened later when you people came here in Beleriand? Those who spent years upon years of abject suffering, unable to die for reasons, and unable to go on anyway? What? I should live an eternal life between utter boredom and apathy, and the knowledge that everything will end in suffering at one point or another and there's nothing I can do about that?

-And you think the men didn't suffer?

-I think that men have a shelf-life, Ereinion Gil Galad, king of the Noldor. I think that even if they wanted to keep useless, mindless grudges for years uncounted, there's an automatic end to it, called a permanent death. Even if they want to be happy in their little corner of the world without ever acknowledging anything else than their community, men are forced to evolve by their very nature. There's none of your lot's eternal lamenting or whatever you'll do for the next few yens. You say you like living, king of the Noldor, but the elves merely survive. Men live. They live to the fullest! They grasp every single moment and make the best of it. I refuse to accept merely surviving in a state of wait. I leave that to you. I will live. Maybe only for a short time... But it'll be a glorious time."

Elros then turned and left, absolutely seething. The nerves of that elf!

But he didn’t have any more time to argue. He had his people to lead, his control of Osanwë to get back, and his brother to contact through their bound, whether or not Ulmo wanted it. It was his brother and his choice! No matter how long it'd take him, he would make it happen!

Gil Galad stood there, watching him walk away, alone with Celeborn and Galadriel.

"Worry not. Elrond will be fine. Galadriel noted.

-I'm not worried. Gil Galad denied with obvious dishonesty.

-We should have talked to him sooner about joining us. Celeborn said with clear concerns.

-I was under the impression that you did? Elrond came to me before the feast to ask me for help to tell you that he didn’t want to be a lord of the sindar. Ereinion noted with a frown.

-What? No we...

-The child was there, when you discussed with Oropher. He heard some of your arguments. Galadriel mused in an absent voice.

-Then he should have known he was more than welcome with us! We only seek to protect him and we can only do that if he states clearly that he’s a prince of the Sindar and stays with us as such! Besides, his brother is a king so he’s not unaware of how politic works and he is the descendant of our king, he could claim kingship over the sindar and...

-The peredhel won't seek the kingship of the Noldor, nor will he seek the kingship of the Sindar. He'll come back before his brother leaves these shores... But be warned. If you insist on judging him for his brother's desire of a kingdom of his own, he'll leave again and never come back to us.

-He's a prince, and the survivors of Sirion remember him. Celeborn argued.

-He's remembered as a child. Let it go. Elrond will not bear the crown. Any crown. Let him be. He'll find his own path to thread.

-He's gone with Maglor.

-My cousin will keep him safe.

-Your cousin is a monster, Galadriel! Celeborn argued unhappily.

-Precisely. Who better to keep the child safe from the rest of the world?

-It's not the rest of the world that I fear, it's him and what he'll turn that child into!"

Galadriel just smiled at that, turning knowing eyes on the path toward the shore.

"Worry not about the young peredhel. He'll make his own path. Worry about your people. They're the one who'll need you."

Celeborn and Ereinion exchanged a look at that.

"You're speaking to...?" Ereinion asked.

Galadriel smiled enigmatically, making Celeborn sigh. She left them, and went to find her father. Their time together on these shores would be short enough after all.

"And you're married to her? Ereinion noted with clear annoyance, making Celeborn smile despite himself.

-You'll understand when you meet your match.

-May I be devoid of wife infinitely rather than find a woman as aggravating as yours, prince Celeborn."

That had the ancient prince of Doriath laugh, even as one of Gil Galad's advisors came to them.

Duty called it seemed.

And rain started to fall, disturbing those who had found a place to sleep outside.