Title: In the Dark Forest the Secret Lies… 
Author: Morgana 
Author’s Email: morganalebeau@yahoo.com 
Web page: http://www.paranoid.nl/avalon 
Paring; Elrond/Erestor 
Overall rating: NC-17 
Summary: The twins (as Elflings) discover a refugee in 
the forests close to Imladris and Erestor’s secret 
will eventually be revealed. 
Disclaimer: Not mine, Tolkien’s. 
Warning: AU of course! 
Author’s Note: Completely AU. I am taking huge 
liberties with Erestor, Ereinion and everyone else 
involved! 
Beta reading, translations and research by Patricia 
Pleasant, thanks! I couldn’t have written this story 
without your help! 
All remaining mistakes are mine. Art by Pie! 
  
 
In the Dark Forest the Secret Lies… 
Part 1 
  
  
“We shouldn’t go in there! Remember what Ada1 said!” 
Elrohir gave his fourteen year old twin a stern look. 
He had seen their father look at Elladan in that way 
and was now trying to copy the expression. “We should 
go home!” They were only Elflings, seven years old in 
the world of Man, and their parents would grow 
concerned, realizing they were missing! And like 
always, it was Elladan’s fault that they were breaking 
the rules! 
  
“Stop being like that, tôr2!” Elladan glared at his 
nervous twin. “It is only a forest! We enter it, have 
a look around and then return home!” Why couldn’t 
Elrohir be a bit more adventurous? Why was Elrohir 
always warning him? Telling him not to do this and 
that! He wanted action! 
  
“But you have heard the tales concerning this part of 
the forest! We shouldn’t go near!” Elrohir wrung his 
hands, and his eyes widened, seeing his twin step into 
the darker part of the forest. “The guards say that an 
evil being lives here and that is why our Ada told us 
not to go near this forest!” 
  
Elladan nodded, eagerly. “Exactly! Don’t you want to 
know if this creature exists?” Elladan picked up a 
branch and swung it like it was a guard’s pike. “We 
can take him, Elrohir! Just imagine the way Ada will 
look at us when we bring the evil creature home – 
defeated and bound! We will be heroes!” 
  
But Elrohir shook his head. “Elladan, we are little! 
You know what Glorfindel always says!” 
“Aye, he says that we should stay near him and never 
venture out alone!” And that was precisely what they 
were *not* doing now. Even Elladan knew in the back of 
his head that the adults would be cross with him for 
dragging Elrohir into this. “Don’t be such a baby!” 
Elladan raised his ‘stick’ once more and swung it, 
almost hitting his twin in the process. 
 
”Be careful!” Elrohir managed to duck away just in 
time. 
  
“Come on!” Elladan was done talking and grabbed hold 
of his brother’s hand. Ignoring Elrohir’s repeated 
warning, he dragged his brother into the deep, dark 
forest. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
“I do not like it here!” Elrohir fidgeted with the 
fabric of his tunic and tightened his hold on his 
twin’s hand. “Can’t we leave?” Big-eyed, he looked 
about. The trees, tall and majestic, reached for the 
sky, blocking out the little sun light that still 
reached Arda. It wasn’t helping that Arien was about 
to set and Ithil to rise. Within the next few minutes 
it would become even darker! 
  
The branches moved in the evening breeze and the 
leaves produced a ghostly murmur, which made his heart 
pound. This was the first time that he had encountered 
trees which weren’t friendly toward him. Normally, 
they would reach out and comfort him, but these trees 
were plain hostile. “They don’t want us here!” 
  
Elladan was slowly beginning to understand the same 
thing, but as he had dragged Elrohir into this, his 
pride didn’t allow him to admit he was wrong. So, he 
continued on, but in his heart, he was growing scared, 
much like Elrohir. Suddenly, the branch in his hand 
didn’t look like a formidable weapon any more and he 
realized they were in trouble – great trouble. 
  
Elrohir ignored Elladan’s whispered protests and 
pulled his twin close until he could wrap his arms 
around his brother’s waist. He trembled over his 
entire body, as the murmurs around him grew stronger. 
“They are warning us, tôr!” 
  
Go home, little ones. 
  
Only danger awaits you here. 
  
Go home and never come back! 
  
The trees’ voices continued to swell until their 
warnings became deafening. Elladan dropped the branch, 
pulled Elrohir close, and ran, dragging his twin with 
him. They ran and ran, losing track of time, until in 
the end, they dropped onto the earth, exhausted from 
running and terrified because the trees’ voices 
wouldn’t go away. Elladan, kneeling on the grass, 
pulled Elrohir close, and together they huddled in the 
frightening shadows of the tall trees. 
  
“I want to go home, Elladan. Please!” The child looked 
pleadingly at his twin. “Please, tôr!” 
  
“I am sorry,” whispered Elladan in a tiny voice, which 
was almost drowned as the trees’ warnings overruled 
it. “I am so sorry. I should have listened to you!” 
Seeing Elrohir’s watering eyes, he felt a sting of 
self-hatred. He had gotten his brother into this 
situation and now, he didn’t know how to get them out 
again! He hadn’t paid attention and didn’t know his 
way out of the forest. They were lost! 
  
Sensing his brother’s inner turmoil, Elrohir hugged 
him tight. “Ada will find us. We must be brave and 
wait for him!” Dark branches swept toward them, 
resembling greedy claws and Elrohir closed his eyes in 
fright. 
  
“They are only shadows, tôr,” said Elladan, trying to 
soothe his twin, but his voice trembled, as fear had a 
tight hold on him as well. “Maybe they will guide us 
out of the forest if we tell them that we want to 
leave!” But nothing changed; the warnings remained and 
the trees’ bony branches seemed eager to wrap their 
claws around them. 
  
“I am scared, Elladan!” admitted Elrohir in a choked 
voice. “I want Ada and Nana3!” 
  
Elladan’s pretended bravado broke and he rocked 
Elrohir in his arms. “I want them too!” Tears streamed 
down his face as he clung to his twin. What had 
possessed him to drag Elrohir into the dark forest? 
Not even his father would enter this part of the wood, 
which was still rather close the Bruinen, but 
unpopular by the Elves. Too many ghastly tales 
circulated among the Firstborn, making them reluctant 
to enter the wood to find out if those tales were 
true. Tales, which spoke of an evil creature hiding 
here. Some said it was an Orc, others spoke of an evil 
wizard and a few thought it was a poisonous spider 
that had found its way here from Mirkwood – and he had 
dragged Elrohir into this dangerous situation! “I am 
so sorry, tôr.” 
  
“I know you are,” whispered Elrohir, burying his face 
in his brother’s dark hair. “Please make it stop… Make 
their voices stop!” His head was about to burst due to 
the many voices, shouting at them! 
  
“I wish I could,” whispered the other Elfling. Maybe 
their father could have stopped the voices, using his 
magical ring, but Elrond wasn’t near – they were 
alone. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
“I cannot take it any longer!” Elrohir collapsed 
against Elladan, losing consciousness, as the trees 
continued to scream at them. He couldn’t take the 
abuse any longer and his mind fled into 
unconsciousness. 
  
Tears flowed down Elladan’s cheeks as he continued to 
rock his twin. “Don’t do this to me, tôr! Stay with 
me! Stay awake!” But his twin had fainted and no 
longer reacted to his pleas. Holding Elrohir as close 
as possible, he was determined to defend them – if he 
could. 
  
What was that? The trees’ whispering began to dull and 
became more distant, giving Elladan a chance to think 
clearly. His Elven instincts told him that something – 
someone – was approaching and that it was the reason 
why the trees were growing quiet. Elladan regretted 
the fact that he didn’t possess Glorfindel’s weapons’ 
skill, for now he couldn’t properly defend his 
brother. But his Ada and Glorfindel had judged them 
still too young to train with the guards and had sent 
them to play instead. How he now wished he knew how to 
wield a pike! “I won’t desert you, tôr,” whispered 
Elladan. “I will defend you!” He would defend his 
twin, even if it cost him his own life! 
  
A shadow was moving closer through the trees and 
Elladan sucked in his breath. His tiny hands moved 
toward the branch and his shaky fingers locked around 
the wood. He didn’t raise it yet, wanting to surprise 
their attacker. His eyes flashed with determination; 
he might be only a child, but he wouldn’t give up 
without a proper fight! 
  
Studying the moving form, he realized it didn’t 
resemble a spider, as it didn’t have eight legs. The 
shadow looked more like an Orc; it was hard to tell 
though, as the outline remained mostly hidden within 
the shadows. “I will protect you, tôr,” repeated 
Elladan, gently placing his twin on the grass. He 
grabbed his stick with two hands, pushed himself to 
his feet, and stood protectively in front of his twin. 
“I am not afraid of you!” he called out, challenging 
their attacker, but deep down in his heart, he shook 
with fright. 
  
“What is this? What are you doing here? You are only 
children!” 
  
Elladan’s heart leapt with something that could only 
be labeled as relief and hope! If this was an Orc, it 
was someone he might be able to reason with, as the 
being spoke their language! Maybe he could convince 
the vile creature not to murder them, as their father 
would doubtlessly pay whatever ransom the Orc wanted! 
  
Elladan’s palms turned sweaty and he lost his hold on 
the wood. It glided away and hit the grass with a dead 
‘plump’. Horrified, Elladan realized he was utterly 
defenseless! 
  
The form moved closer and Elladan’s sharp Elven eyes 
now made out more details. Their attacker had long, 
dark hair, almost as dark as the night that surrounded 
them. Similarly dark, brown eyes stared at him from 
the depths of a hood and elegant hands reached for 
him. “Nay! Leave us alone!” His heart thundered; he 
felt dizzy and his knees gave out beneath him. “Stay 
away from my brother!” But the form didn’t listen and 
crept closer. In the end, his heart wasn’t able to 
deal with the stress and he grew light-headed, 
gravitating toward unconsciousness. A moment later, he 
dropped onto the earth beside his twin. 
  
“You should have warned me earlier!” said the form, 
scolding the trees. “They are only children! There was 
no reason to frighten them the way you did!” He knelt 
close to the twins and checked for injuries. Luckily, 
he found none. “What do I do with you?” He couldn’t 
leave them here – they were obviously lost and would 
never find their way out of the dark forest again. 
Leaving them at the rim of the wood didn’t sound right 
either, as he didn’t know if adults would come looking 
for them. These two were still awfully young and 
needed adult supervision. He sighed; there was only 
one thing he could do! First, he picked up the 
Elfling, who had faced and challenged him. Next, he 
picked up the other and he settled them safely in his 
arms and against his chest. He didn’t have a choice; 
he would have to watch over them until he found a 
Ranger, who would take the Elflings home to their 
parents. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
He kicked open the door and carried the Elflings 
inside. After placing them on his bed, he returned to 
the doorway to close the door in order to lock out the 
fierce wind that had risen on his way back to his 
shelter. Pushing down his hood, he shrugged out of his 
traveling cloak and advanced on the bed. Sitting on 
the edge, he took in their forms, feeling wonder and 
curiosity. 
  
It had been many years since he’d had company. His 
warden had died decades ago, leaving him alone. And 
now, two Elflings had unexpectedly entered his life! 
They looked frightened, even in sleep! He cursed the 
trees for their protectiveness. Aye, they had taken an 
oath to protect him, but in their eagerness to do so, 
they had gone too far. 
  
“I will return you to your parents,” he vowed. But 
how? He couldn’t contact the Elves personally! His 
presence must remain a secret! Maybe he could contact 
the Rangers he sometimes visited to buy supplies and 
livestock? They might be able to get into touch with 
the Elflings’ parents! Aye, he would do that. /But it 
will be weeks before I can make another trip!/ In the 
meantime, he was responsible for their safety, which 
was a truly frightening prospect, as he didn’t know 
how to care for ones so young! 
  
Seeing one Elfling shiver, he frowned. Elves weren’t 
supposed to feel the cold! But maybe it was because 
they were still so tiny? Oh, if only he knew more 
about Elflings! In the end, he picked up a blanket and 
covered their tiny bodies with it. They were twins, 
these two, and he realized he had caught one of their 
names. The Elfling, who had faced him, had called the 
other child Elrohir. “What you are doing here? No one 
has entered this dark forest for many years… What made 
you do it?” 
  
But his questions would have to wait, as the Elflings 
were fast asleep. He rose from the bed, realizing he 
should have some food ready when they awoke. They 
would be hungry. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
Elrohir stirred from his sleep first. His nostrils 
twitched, smelling something warm and spicy. It was a 
familiar scent, one that reminded him of home. His 
eyelids fluttered open and surprised, he took in his 
surroundings. 
  
He appeared to be in a small cabin, which consisted of 
one large room. It held a little kitchen, bed, chairs 
and a table. The walls were bare, save for one 
painting, depicting a family crest he had never seen 
before. Elrohir pushed himself upright and was 
relieved to find his twin resting near his feet. 
Elladan was safe and still sound asleep. A sigh 
escaped his trembling lips and he clumsily patted his 
twin’s dark hair. “Where am I?” The sound of his own 
voice scared him, and he shivered, realizing he wasn’t 
alone. 
  
“I took you home with me. I couldn’t leave you out 
there in the cold and dark.” 
  
Elrohir’s eyes widened, encountering an Elf sitting 
near the fire place, which blazed with hot flame. As 
the cabin was only small, the fire warmed it 
perfectly. “Who are you?” Elrohir felt curious and 
terrified at the same time. He didn’t know this Elf, 
had never seen him before, and that awoke his 
curiosity. But at the same time, he was sacred, as his 
parents weren’t close and he still remembered the 
fright he had felt huddled beneath the tall trees. 
  
“My name is Erestor,” he said, introducing himself. He 
removed the black kettle from above the fire and 
carried it toward the table. “Are you hungry, Elrohir? 
Would you like something to eat? I made soup.” 
  
Elrohir blinked and curiosity overwhelmed him. He 
crept off of the bed and stood -- a bit shaky – on his 
feet again. “How do you know my name?” 
  
“Your brother mentioned it.” Erestor poured soup into 
a bowl and placed it on the table. “Are you joining 
me?” 
  
Elrohir wavered; he wanted to stay close to his 
brother, but at the same time his stomach growled. It 
had been quite some time since he had eaten last and 
the soup smelt delicious. Slowly, he made his way over 
to the table and climbed onto the chair. Sipping the 
still hot soup, he studied the dark-haired Elf. 
  
Erestor smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring 
manner. “What are you doing out here? Don’t you know 
how dangerous this forest is?” He sipped his soup, 
watching Elrohir closely. The Elfling seemed calm and 
intelligent and he hoped to convince Elrohir that he 
didn’t mean any harm before the other child awoke. 
  
“Elladan dared me.” Elrohir’s gray eyes remained 
fastened on Erestor’s dark ones. “I told him that we 
shouldn’t enter the forest because of the monster that 
lives here, but Elladan never listens.” 
  
“The monster…” Aye, he had learned of those rumors 
when he had visited the Rangers and he had been happy 
to let them believe a vile creature dwelt in these 
woods, for it kept the curious at a distance. Except 
for these two, who had entered at any rate. 
  
“But you saved us from the monster, didn’t you?” 
  
Huge, trusting eyes locked with his, making him 
swallow hard. There was no monster, but he didn’t want 
anyone to know. The rumors protected him and kept him 
safe. “Aye, I did. The monster won’t get to you.” 
  
A gentle smile appeared on Elrohir’s face. The soup 
warmed him from the inside and he was beginning to 
feel relaxed around the elder Elf. “Ada always told us 
to seek out an adult when we were in trouble. You will 
look after us, won’t you?” 
  
Erestor nodded once. “I will take care of you until I 
can contact your parents.” 
  
Elrohir gave Erestor a proud smile. “Our Ada is brave 
and he will come for us! He loves us!” It would only 
be a matter of hours before Elrond would appear and 
take them home! 
  
Erestor grew a bit paler. “I hope not,” he mumbled. 
Too many strangers were invading his wood and 
eventually someone would uncover the truth – namely 
that there was no monster -- just an Elf – hiding 
here. 
  
“Our Ada is brave and he will slay the monster!” 
Enthusiastically, Elrohir banged his tiny fist onto 
the table. 
  
The sound woke Elladan, who sat upright with a start. 
“Elrohir!” The last thing he remembered was being in 
peril and he jumped from the bed, running in Elrohir’s 
direction. He didn’t register the calm and safety the 
environment breathed and pulled his twin from the 
chair and behind him. Only now did he notice the adult 
and he bared his teeth. “Stay away from us!” 
  
Erestor remained seated, not wanting to frighten 
Elladan further. “I mean you no harm, Elladan.” 
  
Elladan glared at the dark-haired Elf, displeased that 
the adult knew his name. 
  
“Tôr, I believe he speaks the truth. He means us no 
harm. He even gave me some soup.” Trying to calm his 
brother, Elrohir moved in front of Elladan and looked 
him in the eye. “I am unharmed, tôr.” He wrapped his 
arms around his twin and hugged him. 
  
Elladan slowly calmed down, but his watchful eyes 
never left Erestor’s form. “I remember you!” He 
recalled seeing the dark eyes in the forest! 
  
“You were alone and in need of help,” replied Erestor, 
who still didn’t move. “The trees' whispering led me 
to you.” 
  
“It was awful!” Elrohir pinched his eyes tightly shut. 
“I never heard anything that awful before! Their 
voices…” He paused, trying to regain his composure. 
The memory alone was enough to frighten him! 
  
Knowing that he couldn’t give anything away, Erestor 
opted for a change of subject. “You are safe now, pyn 
neth4. Their voices cannot reach you here.” 
  
“Where is here?” asked Elladan, and his eyes narrowed, 
thoughtfully. 
  
“I live here,” explained Erestor. 
  
“In the heart of the forest?” Elladan’s fingers locked 
with his twin’s and he allowed Elrohir to pull him 
toward the table. His watchful eyes, however, never 
left Erestor’s form, as he remained suspicious. 
  
Erestor filled another bowl with soup and placed it on 
the table. “The trees leave me alone,” he said, 
gesturing for the twins to climb onto the chairs. 
  
Elrohir climbed onto the chair first and gave Erestor 
a hopeful look. “Is there more soup?” He was still 
hungry! 
  
Erestor smiled and refilled the bowl. “Careful though, 
it is still hot.” 
  
Elladan climbed onto his chair and stared into the 
soup. He didn’t know what to make of Erestor. He was 
only a child and still too young to take care of 
himself. Even Elladan understood that they couldn’t 
survive on their own. They needed Erestor! Defiance 
shone from his cloudy eyes when he sipped the 
vegetable soup, which he had to admit, was rather 
tasty. 
  
The silence made Elrohir nervous. “Thank you for the 
soup,” he said. 
  
Erestor nodded once. “It will warm you from the 
inside. I must admit to being curious, though. I saw 
you shivering from the cold earlier.” 
  
Elrohir’s trusting eyes met Erestor’s. “That is 
because we are half-Elven.” 
  
Erestor raised an eyebrow. “Half-Elven?” 
  
“Aye, our Nana is a full Elf, but our Ada, isn’t.” 
Elrohir ignored the displeased look his twin gave him. 
Contrary to Elladan, he trusted Erestor. His instincts 
told him that this adult meant well. “We live in 
Imladris at the Last Homely House. Our father rules 
Imladris!” 
 
”I have heard of it,” whispered Erestor, realizing the 
Firstborn would come looking for the twins. Especially 
since they were the Lord’s sons. The twins venturing 
into the forest endangered his very existence! “I will 
travel to the Rangers shortly and they can contact 
your father.” He would take the twins to the outskirts 
of the forest, and hide among the trees until the 
father had collected his sons. “In the meantime, you 
will stay close. The trees cannot be trusted.” The 
trees would go to great lengths in order to protect 
him! 
  
“I want my Ada and Nana!” said Elladan in angry tone. 
“You will take us to them *now*!” 
  
“I can not,” replied Erestor in a calm tone. By the 
Valar, this one was feisty! 
  
“Why?” Elrohir’s eyes had narrowed, as he was thinking 
everything over. “You can easily take us home. You 
must know the way!” 
  
Erestor shook his head. “We must wait for the 
opportune moment. In the meantime, you are my guests.” 
  
Elladan pouted and he decided not to trust Erestor, 
even though he could tell that his twin did! 
  
Elrohir felt disappointed, but contrary to Elladan, he 
realized there was more to this situation than met the 
eye. Why else would an Elf live – nay, hide – in this 
dark forest? And maybe if they stayed, they would find 
out. Being the more intelligent of the two, Elrohir 
relied on his cunning to get them back home safely. 
Elladan thought every situation could be dealt with by 
using force and strength. He didn’t agree with that 
concept – sometimes, one had to be cunning and 
patient. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
After eating his soup, Elrohir went back to the bed 
and curled up on it. Elladan however, was restless and 
explored the dwelling. He stared at the crest for some 
time, and was disappointed when it didn’t look 
familiar to him. Maybe he should have paid more 
attention during his mother’s lessons on heraldic 
lore! 
  
Erestor had gone outside to chop fire wood, as it was 
growing increasingly colder due to the biting wind. 
The Elfling knew that the adult didn’t feel the cold, 
and that Erestor was chopping wood for their benefit, 
because he didn’t want them to grow chilly. Now that 
they were momentarily alone, Elladan inquired, “Why do 
you trust him?” 
  
Elrohir opened one eye to look at his brother – he had 
been ready to go back to sleep. “Do you sense any evil 
on him?” 
  
Elladan shrugged his shoulders once. It had always 
been Elrohir, whose instincts had been the strongest 
and normally he trusted his twin to reach the right 
conclusion. But these weren’t normal circumstances! “I 
don’t trust him!” 
  
“He is an Elf, tôr. Have you forgotten our mother’s 
teachings? I would rather trust an Elf than a mortal!” 
Elrohir pulled his knees to his chest and studied his 
twin. “Don’t worry, Elladan. Our Ada will come for 
us!” 
  
Elladan cringed. “It might be a while before they 
realize that we are gone!” And Elrond wouldn’t be 
pleased to learn that it was his firstborn who had 
gotten them into trouble! He would receive a lecture 
at least – and he would probably be grounded! 
  
Bowing his head, he walked over to the bed and climbed 
onto it. He curled around Elrohir and held him close. 
“I am sorry I pressured you. I should have listened to 
you. The next time I suggest something stupid, please 
stop me!” He felt guilty for exposing Elrohir to 
danger. 
  
“We cannot undo what was done, tôr. And it looks like 
everything will turn out all right. Erestor will 
contact Ada and our Ada will take us home. We only 
have to be patient and behave!” Elrohir shivered. “I 
am not leaving this cabin until Ada comes for us!” The 
trees had installed a terrible fear in him! 
  
“Then we shall stay inside.” Through a tiny window, 
Elladan saw that it had begun to snow. Normally, he 
would jump up enthusiastically to throw snow balls and 
build a snow Elf, but this time his reaction was way 
more subdued. “It is snowing, tôr.” 
  
“Imagine what would have happened if Erestor hadn’t 
found us!” Elrohir trembled, not wanting to imagine 
just that. 
  
“We would have frozen to death,” whispered Elladan, 
who began to feel grateful that Erestor had taken them 
in. And it would have been *his* fault if they had 
died! “I am so sorry!” Finally understanding how bad 
this adventure could have ended, he cried into 
Elrohir’s hair. 
  
Elrohir tightened his hold on his brother and soothed 
him. “But that didn’t happen and I think we made a new 
friend.” Elrohir pushed their hair out of the way and 
studied Elladan’s eyes. “Maybe we were meant to meet 
with Erestor? He seems lonely, living here all by 
himself. Maybe we can convince him to come to Imladris 
with us?” 
  
“Do you think that is a wise thing to suggest?” 
Elladan still didn’t trust Erestor. 
  
Their conversation was cut short when the door opened 
and a snowed-on Erestor entered. The twins froze, as 
cold wind hit their skin and they shivered. Erestor 
removed the snow from his cloak and then closed the 
door behind him. He carried the chopped wood over to 
the fire place and added the kindling that had 
remained dry to the fire. “It will warm up in a 
moment,” said Erestor, rubbing his hands and warming 
them over the fire. “I didn’t expect for it to snow 
today.” Looking at the two Elflings, he felt his heart 
twitch. They depended on him. He had to provide for 
them, go hunting, cook, and be a parent for the next 
few days, maybe even weeks. And that prospect scared 
him – he had no experience raising Elflings 
whatsoever! 
  
“Thank you for taking us in,” said Elrohir, who 
elbowed Elladan in the side. 
  
“Aye, thank you,” added Elladan, reluctantly. “We 
wouldn’t have survived the cold.” 
  
Erestor waved the comments away. It was partly his 
fault that the Elflings had been traumatized. If only 
the trees hadn’t been so overprotective of him! “Are 
you tired? You can go to sleep. You are safe here.” He 
had no idea how to keep them entertained! 
  
“Nay, not tired,” explained Elrohir, cuddling close to 
Elladan. “But it is comfortably warm in bed.” Sensing 
some of Erestor’s unease, he gave the adult a smile. 
“Our Nana usually reads to us… Do you have any books?” 
  
Erestor frowned; aye, he had some books, but it had 
been years since he had last read them. He rose from 
in front of the fire place and selected a book. Whilst 
making his way over to the bed, he kept a close eye on 
the twins. He didn’t want to startle them and had long 
realized that Elladan was determined to protect 
Elrohir. Maybe if he read to them, they would fall 
asleep. That would give him time to think this over. 
  
Elrohir observed Erestor closely and concluded that he 
really liked this dark-haired Elf. Erestor possessed a 
quality that made him want to trust the adult. “What 
are you going to read to us?” 
  
Elladan, tired of being on guard, relaxed in his 
brother’s arms. His eyelids were growing heavy, but he 
refused to fall asleep yet. 
  
“It is the tale of Glorfindel, Lord of the Golden 
Flower, sailing into Lindon to promise his alliance to 
Elrond Half-Elven and Ereinion.” 
  
“Oh! We know Glorfindel!” Excited, Elladan’s eyes 
fastened on the book. “Glorfindel is our teacher and 
our friend!” He would love to hear more about his 
hero! 
  
“And Elrond is our Ada,” added Elrohir in a serious 
voice. “We are all Peredhil 5!” 
  
Erestor’s heart missed a beat. What would happen if 
the two warriors decided to go searching for the 
missing Elflings and discovered his presence? His 
tutor had always told him to remain hidden, to never 
reveal himself to any Elf. He couldn’t take risks! He 
would have to instruct the trees to be on guard and 
warn him if any Elf entered the wood. Maybe then he 
would have enough time to take the twins to the search 
party and remain undiscovered! Looking outside, he 
realized he was safe for now, for a blizzard had 
formed. No one would venture into the forest whilst 
this storm lasted! 
  
“You promised to tell us a story!” said Elladan, 
reminding Erestor of his words. 
 
And those very words reminded Erestor that he was 
dealing with two frightened Elflings, who relied on 
him for their safety. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
They had fallen asleep toward the end of the story and 
Erestor pulled up the blanket to tuck them in. He 
stayed seated on the edge of the bed and considered 
his options. The Elflings needed food and drink. That 
meant he had to go hunting soon, as he was running out 
of supplies. He shivered, remembering the hunting 
accident that had claimed his tutor’s life. He had 
buried his only friend close to the cabin and had been 
alone ever since. 
  
Raising his right hand, he let it hover above 
Elrohir’s dark hair. The twins accepted his presence 
and didn’t question it. They trusted him to take of 
them, whilst he was still trying to convince himself 
that he wasn’t alone anymore. A dark thought came to 
him then – he would love to keep them with him, so he 
wouldn’t be alone any more. He would teach them, and 
in time they would become his companions. But no, he 
couldn’t do that to the parents, who loved them. He 
had to find a way to return them to Elrond. 
  
Elrond – these were Elrond’s sons! His tutor had told 
him about the half-Elf, and that Elrond had been loyal 
to Ereinion. Before his teacher had died, the Elf had 
taught him lore, history and diplomacy. But Erestor’s 
knowledge was limited, as time had passed by, and he 
had been locked away from real life. He didn’t know 
how long he had been here – or what had happened on 
Arda in that time. Had alliances changed? 
  
Pondering his dilemma, he tried to count the years. He 
had been eighty years old when his tutor had died and 
he reckoned about sixty more years had passed by. That 
would make him around one hundred and forty. And 
during all that time he had been hiding. 
  
Sighing deeply, he was about to rise from the bed, but 
then found that Elrohir’s hand had buried itself in 
the fabric of his tunic. Apparently the Elfling didn’t 
want him to leave. Erestor looked at the fingers and 
gently pried them loose from the fabric, but Elrohir 
reacted by curling his fingers around his. Now, he was 
truly trapped, with Elrohir having gained a tight hold 
on his hand. Accepting his fate, Erestor remained 
seated on the bed and watched over them. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
“Elrond? Where are our children? I cannot find them!” 
Celebrían advanced on her husband, who was seated 
behind his desk, reading over the latest reports. 
  
Elrond looked up, hearing his wife’s concerned tone. 
“I thought they spent the day playing in the gardens?” 
One look out of the window told him that it had begun 
to snow and a grin surfaced on his face. “They 
probably lost track of time, throwing snow balls at 
each other and being a menace to every Elf who has the 
misfortune to pass them by.” 
  
But Celebrían shook her head and came to a standstill 
behind Glorfindel. “I don’t think so.” Her instincts 
were telling her that her sons were in danger. “We 
should find them now!” 
  
“If you permit it, I will fetch them,” offered 
Glorfindel, who was glad to be given a chance to flee 
the study. He was someone who appreciated action, and 
wasn’t meant to make duty rosters and struggle through 
badly written reports. 
  
Elrond knew his Captain well enough to realize 
Glorfindel’s true reasons for offering and he allowed 
it. “Fetch the twins, Glorfindel, and bring them 
here.” Whilst Glorfindel left the study, Elrond looked 
at his wife. He could easily tell that she was worried 
and he rose from behind his desk to join her. Elrond 
wrapped an arm around her waist and cocked his head, 
looking into her eyes. He raised a hand and allowed 
for his fingers to tangle in his wife’s fair hair, 
which always reminded him of liquid silver. “Do not 
worry, melethril 6, knowing our sons, they are waiting 
for Glorfindel to search for them so they can bury him 
beneath a mass of snow balls!” 
  
“I hope you are right,” whispered Celebrían. She 
rested her head against his strong shoulder and 
released a deep sigh. “I want them here. I want them 
close.” 
  
Elrond placed a loving kiss on the crown of her head. 
“Glorfindel is fetching them. Allow him a few minutes 
to find them.” 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
“Elladan! Elrohir! Stop playing games! It is time for 
dinner!” Vexed, Glorfindel scanned the empty gardens. 
They had to be here! “Stop hiding, pyn neth! Your 
mother wants you!” 
  
“Mae govannen7, Glorfindel. Are you looking for the 
twins?” Melpomaen had spent most of the day in the 
gardens, hoping to find inspiration for his poetry and 
was rather surprised to find the Captain here. 
  
“Aye, I do. Have you seen them?” Glorfindel didn’t 
want to admit it, but the fact that he couldn’t find 
the twins worried him. 
  
“They were here this morning, but then they left.” 
  
“Left?” Glorfindel’s heartbeat grew faster. “Left?” 
  
“Aye, I think they headed toward the Bruinen. I 
wondered about that.” 
  
“I should have known something like this would happen! 
I advised Elrond against allowing them to play without 
supervision!” But Elrond had shrugged it off, telling 
him that the twins were old enough to be without adult 
supervision once in a while. It would further their 
sense of responsibility – at least, that was what 
Elrond believed. Glorfindel didn’t share that opinion. 
If it were up to him, he would have a minder around 
the twins constantly. He remembered the way he had 
been at their age – trouble! “Thank you for your help, 
Melpomaen!” Not waiting for the young advisor to say 
his goodbyes, he hurried toward the Bruinen. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
Nothing! The twins weren’t at the Bruinen either and 
Glorfindel was growing worried now that he couldn’t 
find them. He also didn’t look forward to telling 
Elrond that his sons were missing, but the Elf-Lord 
needed to know! 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
Elrond’s emotions ranged from concerned, to vexed, to 
angry. “Where are they?” He should have listened to 
Glorfindel, but he had chosen to trust his faith in 
his sons instead! For the next few decades they would 
have a minder and he would always keep them in line of 
sight! They weren’t going to escape his attention ever 
again! 
  
“Oh, no, this cannot be happening!” Wringing her 
hands, Celebrían paced the rooms which she shared with 
her husband. “You must find them! As quickly as 
possible! Oh, Elbereth, it has also started to snow! 
They will be cold – freezing. Elrond, they are small 
children! They need us!” 
  
Elrond nodded his head once – his wife was right. His 
children needed him! “I will find them,” he promised, 
but right after speaking those words, the fear of 
losing them overcame him. It had happened before, with 
Eluréd and Elurín – they had simply vanished and no 
one had ever heard of them again! “I will find them!” 
he said, even more determinedly. “I will find them and 
bring them back!” And then, he would ground them! He 
would ground them forever, if that meant keeping them 
safe! 
  
“Glorfindel, organize search troops! We will search 
all of Imladris!” 
  
Glorfindel swallowed, hard, not wanting to bring this 
up, but realizing it needed addressing. “What about 
the woods, which lie south of the Bruinen?” 
  
“The dark forest?” Elrond’s stomach turned. “Do you 
think they went there?” 
  
“I overheard their conversation the other day. Elladan 
was daring Elrohir to go there.” Glorfindel hoped that 
Elrond’s firstborn hadn’t gone there. 
  
Celebrían’s heart missed a beat. “But it is said that 
evil resides there!” 
 
Elrond cocked his head, thoughtfully. “No evil. I 
wouldn’t allow anything evil that close to Imladris, 
but aye, something – someone – dwells there. Include 
the dark forest in your search, Glorfindel… At second 
thought, I will search that section personally.” 
  
“Elrond, you should remain here,” said Glorfindel. 
  
But Elrond shook his head and sought out his wife’s 
eyes. “You do understand that I need to do this 
myself? Our sons are missing, maybe even in danger. I 
cannot stay here. I need to search for them myself.” 
  
She nodded her head once. “I understand.” She would 
have liked to join them in their search, but someone 
needed to stay at the Last Homely House and guide 
their people. “Hurry back home to me, melethron8.” She 
raised her hands and placed them on either side of his 
head. She touched her lips to his and gave him a 
pleading look. “Please bring my sons back to me, 
Elrond.” 
  
“I will,” vowed Elrond. “I will find them and return 
them to you!” 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
Elrond had changed into hunter’s garb as the formal 
robes, which he usually wore, would only hamper him 
during the search. He mounted his mare and looked 
about, finding Glorfindel at his side and Celebrían 
standing in the doorway. He raised his hand in goodbye 
and his lips repeated the promise he had made earlier. 
“I will find them and return them to you!” Digging his 
heels into the horse’s flank, he called out to the 
guards to follow him. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
“Ada?” Elrohir rubbed his eyes, trying to focus them. 
He had slept deeply and soundly and waking up took 
some time. His surroundings struck him as alien and he 
wondered why he wasn’t in his room, but then he 
remembered what had happened and glared at Elladan, 
asleep in his arms. Elladan had gotten him in this 
mess! 
  
Something tugged at his hand and his gaze shifted. 
Finding a dark-haired Elf seated on the bed, he 
blinked, trying to remember. 
  
“I am Erestor,” he said in a gentle tone. Recognition 
appeared in Elrohir’s eyes and Erestor smiled. “Would 
you return my hand to me, pen neth9?” 
  
“Sorry,” whispered Elrohir, reluctantly releasing 
Erestor’s hand. “You will stay close, though, won’t 
you?” 
  
“I might have to leave for a little while,” replied 
Erestor, regretting he was responsible for putting 
fear back in Elrohir’s gray eyes. “But we need food 
and I am low on supplies.” 
  
Elladan woke due to their voices and buried his face 
in Elrohir’s hair. “I want to go home!” He had dreamt 
of his parents – of his mother holding him – and this 
was a rude awakening. “I want Nana!” 
Elrohir bit his bottom lip. Elladan always pretended 
to be unconcerned and brave, but deep down inside, he 
was just a scared Elfling – much like he was. The 
difference was that Elrohir didn’t feel particularly 
scared at the moment, for he trusted Erestor to take 
care of them. “You will come back, won’t you?” 
  
“Of course,” said Erestor, giving them a reassuring 
smile. 
  
“I don’t want you to leave!” called out Elladan in a 
pouting manner. “Stay!” 
  
Erestor drew in a deep breath. “Elladan, will you look 
at me?” 
  
Elladan pushed himself into a sitting position and his 
large eyes fastened on Erestor. 
  
“I promise to return you to your parents. You just 
need to be a little patient. Even if I wanted, I 
cannot take you home right now.” Erestor pointed at 
the window. “We must ride out the blizzard first. I 
promise you, Elladan. Before you know it, you will be 
back in Imladris with your parents.” 
  
Elladan searched Erestor’s eyes long and hard. “I 
believe you,” he said, eventually. 
  
Elrohir smiled and rubbed Elladan’s back. “Come back 
here.” He pulled Elladan into an embrace and the two 
Elflings huddled beneath the warm blanket. It was only 
morning, and they could tell it would be a long day, 
confined to the cabin as they were. 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
Elladan sat curled up in front of the small window, 
looking outside at the falling snow. He had woken up 
minutes ago, and had tucked Elrohir in after leaving 
the bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had 
spent so much time sleeping and had grown tired of it. 
What he really wanted was to go outside, but just one 
look at the dark trees reminded him why he needed to 
stay inside. It was amazing that the trees didn’t 
affect Erestor! 
  
The door unexpectedly opened and Elladan grew scared. 
He was about to run back to the bed, when he 
recognized Erestor’s form beneath the mass of snow the 
Elf carried with him. The adult carried a dead rabbit. 
 
  
Elrohir sat upright. The cold and noise had woken him 
and he raised his arms, eager to have Elladan close. 
“Tôr!” 
  
Elladan joined his twin on the bed and took hold of 
Elrohir’s hand. “It is only Erestor, remember?” 
  
Erestor placed the dead rabbit on the table and 
removed his traveling cloak after brushing off the 
snow. “The storm has lessened, but the clouds dropped 
a lot of snow on us.” 
  
Elladan, feeling Elrohir pull at his hand, went with 
the motion and allowed his twin to drag him along when 
Elrohir left the bed. The twins approached the table, 
their big eyes trained on the rabbit. “It is dead,” 
said Elrohir, feeling disappointed. 
  
“We cannot eat a live rabbit,” said Erestor, who sat 
down. He managed to catch their eyes and smiled at 
them. “I will make a stew tonight. Your bellies will 
be full when you go to bed.” 
  
Elladan carefully raised a hand and placed it on the 
rabbit’s head. Startled, because the dead rabbit 
radiated an icy cold, he pulled back. “Why did you 
kill it?” 
  
“Because we need to eat.” Erestor drew in a deep 
breath. “You would rather have played with it, I 
guess?” 
  
Elladan nodded, thoughtfully. “I have never seen a 
dead rabbit before. The ones at home are alive and Ada 
let’s us play with them.” The twins had never been to 
the kitchen, had never seen the cook prepare the meat. 
“I never realized…” He had simply eaten his meals 
without realizing an animal had died in order to feed 
him. “Poor rabbit.” 
  
“It was an old and injured animal, Elladan. Had it 
been healthy, it would have gotten away.” Erestor 
extended an arm, wondering if Elladan would allow him 
to pat his hair. To his surprise, Elladan allowed it. 
Running his fingers down the dark hair, he smiled, 
ruefully. “It will be hard to find proper food during 
the next few days. The snow has forced most animals to 
seek shelter.” 
  
Elrohir suddenly realized something. “I have never 
been hungry… really hungry.” There was always plenty 
of food in Imladris and his belly had always been 
full. “Do we have enough food to last through the 
blizzard?” 
  
Erestor regretted worrying them. “We will manage.” 
Elladan was still staring at the dead rabbit and 
Erestor suddenly knew how to distract them. “Come, we 
are going outside.” 
  
“But the trees!” Elrohir’s eyes went impossibly wide. 
“I don’t want to go out there!” 
  
Erestor smiled, reassuringly. “I have had a word with 
them. They promised to behave.” Seeing the twins 
remained unconvinced, he added, “The moment you do not 
feel comfortable outside, you can come back in here. 
Is that acceptable?” 
  
“Why do you want us to go outside?” asked Elladan with 
a hint of suspicion in his eyes. 
  
“I want to show you something.” Erestor got to his 
feet and walked over to the bed. He knelt, and pulled 
at something hidden beneath the bed. The twins sucked 
in their breath, and he smiled, hearing it. He 
uncovered a chest and opened it. 
  
Within seconds, Elladan and Elrohir had made their way 
over to Erestor. Curious, they looked over the adult’s 
shoulder. “What’s inside?” asked Elrohir, breathless 
due to his curiosity. The chest looked dark and 
mysterious, feeding his imagination. 
  
“My old clothes.” He had kept everything, as these 
items were his only link to his past. Erestor 
uncovered a traveling cloak he had worn when he had 
been little. He placed shirts, trousers and a second 
traveling cloak on the floor next to him. “I want you 
wrapped up warmly when we go outside.” The Elflings 
were half-Elven and would feel the cold more 
pronounced than he did. 
  
Elrohir let his fingers caress the rich fabric. The 
cloak, which lay atop, was made from dark-blue velvet 
and had hundreds of stars embroidered on it. “It is 
beautiful!” 
  
“It will keep you warm,” said Erestor. During the next 
few minutes, he was busy getting them properly 
dressed, encouraging them to pull the spare clothes 
over the ones they already wore. “Better?” He couldn’t 
help smiling, seeing them bundled up in that way. 
  
The twins nodded, pleased, now that they were properly 
protected against the cold. “What do you want to show 
us?” asked Elladan, eventually. He could tell by his 
twin’s expression that Elrohir was also curious. 
  
Erestor draped his cloak over his shoulders and took 
Elrohir’s hand in his. “Take your brother’s hand and 
don’t let go.” It was only a short trip, but he wasn’t 
taking any chances. 
  
Elrohir obeyed and grabbed Elladan’s hand. “Where are 
we going?” 
  
Erestor smiled, mysteriously, and guided them outside. 
 
  
Frosty wind hit the twin’s faces and they flinched, 
realizing just how cold it really was. Elrohir kept a 
close eye on the trees, which thankfully remained 
quiet. “They scared me,” admitted Elrohir in a small 
voice. 
  
“I know they did,” replied Erestor, guiding them 
toward a small stable, located behind the cabin. “But 
they will behave now. They won’t frighten you ever 
again.” He'd had a heart to heart with the trees, 
which had realized they had gone a bit overboard, 
trying to protect him. The trees remained quiet now, 
but still watched the small group make their way into 
the stable. 
  
Elladan’s eyes widened, finding they weren’t alone in 
the stable. He released a pleased chuckle and charged 
forward, but as Elrohir was still holding onto his 
hand, he came to an abrupt stop. 
  
“Go,” said Erestor, who was amused, seeing Elladan’s 
eagerness. 
  
Elrohir was a bit more subdued, venturing deeper into 
the small stable. “Animals?” He looked up, trustingly, 
at Erestor. 
  
“Aye.” Erestor nodded once. His tutor had been a wise 
Elf, and when they had decided to settle down here, 
the elder Elf had purchased some livestock.   They had 
visited with the Rangers many times, always purchasing 
new livestock. Once the animals died, the two Elves 
used the meat to stay alive. The two young cows, which 
Erestor had purchased last year, contentedly munched 
on straw and allowed the Elflings to pet their noses. 
  
“They feel warm!” Elrohir wrapped an arm around the 
cow closest to him and giggled into her neck. 
  
“There is more,” hinted Erestor, pointing to their 
left. 
  
“Sheep! And chickens!” Excited, Elladan slipped past 
the cows to explore further. He dropped onto his knees 
and stared into the sheep’s dark eyes. “What is his 
name?” 
 
Erestor raised an eyebrow. “I never name them.” 
  
“Oh, but we will!” Hopping excitedly, Elrohir joined 
his brother, and together they chased the chickens 
when the poor animals decided they didn’t like being 
cuddled by the twins. 
  
Now that the hens had left their nests, Erestor 
collected the eggs they had produced. These eggs would 
make a lovely omelet in the morning! 
  
Elrohir managed to catch one hen and cuddled her. She 
pecked at him, and he let go, giving Erestor an wicked 
smile. “Can we come here and play with them whenever 
we want?” 
  
“As long as you promise not to stray from the cabin.” 
Erestor extended his hand, signaling it was time to go 
and to give the poor animals some peace. The hen still 
looked rather shocked from being cuddled by Elladan. 
  
Elladan nodded his head. “I promise!” He had no 
intention of endangering his twin a second time! 
  
Elrohir took hold of his twin’s hand and with his 
other hand, he grabbed Erestor’s. Together, they 
ventured outside again. Erestor had been right – the 
storm was as good as gone and the sky was turning blue 
again. Arien’s last rays of the day warmed them and 
made him giggle. “If we were at home, we would be 
building a snow Elf!” 
  
Erestor’s eyes narrowed – he had to gut the rabbit and 
reckoned the twins wouldn’t want to see him prepare 
it. “Why don’t you build one now?” Two pairs of 
credulous eyes looked at him. “The trees will leave 
you alone, I promise!” 
  
“We would love to do that!” Animated, Elladan jumped 
up and down on the spot. 
  
“Then go ahead!” Erestor reckoned that he would have 
the stew going by the time the twins returned inside. 
“Just stay in sight, do you understand? You don’t want 
to get lost and suffer through a blizzard.” 
  
“We understand,” said Elrohir in his loveliest voice, 
which always worked, winding his father around his 
little finger. But as he looked into Erestor’s eyes, 
he could tell the adult was serious. “We will behave.” 
  
Erestor gave them another stern look, and once he was 
convinced they would behave, he went inside again to 
prepare their dinner. 
  
“You were right, tôr,” admitted Elladan. “We can trust 
him.” 
  
Elrohir nodded his head once. “We will be good, tôr. 
We will behave.” 
  
The twins smiled at each other – now that they had 
decided to be good, it was time to build a snow Elf! 
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
  
“He is cute!” Elrohir stepped away from the snow Elf 
and nodded, approvingly. “But you should have kept the 
cloak on.” Elladan was shivering due to the cold. 
  
“I don’t care!” declared Elladan in a defiant voice. 
He allowed himself to fall backward and began moving 
his arms and legs in the snow. Although the cold 
sharply registered with him, having fun was more 
important. “Look!” 
  
Elrohir gave his twin an indulgent smile. Elladan had 
been relatively good, not once suggesting they should 
venture into the forest again and thankfully, the 
trees had remained quiet. He reckoned about one hour 
had passed by and it was time to go back inside again. 
“We should fetch Erestor.” Like any other Elfling, he 
wanted the adult to praise their work and compliment 
them. 
  
Elladan sat upright. “Aye, you are right!” He jumped 
to his feet and headed for the cabin. “Erestor! Come, 
look what we did!” 
Inside the cabin, Erestor looked up from stirring the 
stew at hearing the child’s voice. All ingredients 
were inside the kettle now, which hung above the fire 
in the fireplace. He had wondered how long it would 
take them to make a snow Elf. It was heartwarming, 
hearing their voices, begging him to join them 
outside. He was already growing used to their presence 
and realized things would be hard on him once they 
were gone. He would be alone again then. 
  
Erestor headed outside and a smile appeared on his 
face, realizing they had done a good job. The snow Elf 
was tall and they had used small pebbles to create 
eyes and a mouth. “Well done, pyn neth!” They seemed 
to grow inches taller at hearing his praise and he 
patted Elladan on the head. “Well done indeed.” 
  
Elladan’s cheeks turned red whilst being praised and 
he gave his twin a smug smile. “Elrohir helped.” 
  
/Elrohir did most of the work,/ thought Erestor, who 
had watched them through the little window in his 
cabin. But Elrohir seemed content to let his brother 
be praised. A silent look of understanding passed 
between Elrohir and Erestor, and the Elfling smiled, 
proudly. 
  
“We should go inside now. You look cold.” Erestor 
shooed them inside and then glanced back at the snow 
Elf over his shoulder. A snow Elf, who was wearing his 
cloak. /Ah, it is only a cloak. If it makes the little 
ones happy…/ 
  
But Elladan had seen the longing expression in 
Erestor’s eyes and wondered why it was there. 
Following the direction of Erestor’s gaze, he realized 
why the adult was sad. Breaking free from the hold 
Elrohir had on his hand he ran toward the snow Elf and 
resolutely removed the cloak. He hadn’t been thinking 
when adding it. He should have considered the fact 
that it would be precious to the adult. “It is cold… 
and wet, but it will dry,” he said, offering the 
garment to Erestor. 
  
“Thank you for fetching it,” said Erestor, as he 
pulled the twins inside and then locked the door 
behind him. “Memories cling to it.” 
  
Elrohir wondered about the wounded look in Erestor’s 
eyes and took charge. “Tôr, help me!” He had quickly 
shrugged out of the extra clothes and was now trying 
to haul the straw-filled mattress toward the 
fireplace. 
  
Elladan quickly caught on, removing his extra clothing 
as well, and helping his twin dragging the mattress 
closer to the fire. “What are you doing?” 
  
“You will find out,” promised Elrohir, who went back 
to the bed to fetch the blanket. “Erestor? We are 
cold!” He clumsily sat down on the mattress, 
struggling with the huge blanket. But in the end, he 
managed to wrap it around Elladan and himself. “Will 
you warm us?” 
  
Erestor had watched the scene unfold with trepidation. 
“Pyn neth, I don’t think…” He had never been around 
Elflings before and wasn’t sure what was appropriate 
behavior. He didn’t want to scare them. 
  
Elrohir raised his arms and gave the adult a pleading 
look. “The snow is everywhere… My hair… skin… I am 
cold!” 
  
Erestor eventually gave in. He walked over to the 
mattress and sat down, letting the twins decide what 
they wanted to do. The twins easily decided for him. 
Elrohir climbed onto his lap and made himself 
comfortable. Elladan lifted his arm and settled 
against his hip. Both Elflings seemed comfortable and 
their body temperature rose due to the shared body 
heat. 
  
“Erestor? Why do you live here all alone?” This 
question had been on Elrohir’s mind for some time. Now 
that he felt warm and safe, he was courageous enough 
to ask. 
  
“That is a long story,” replied Erestor, reluctant to 
share his story. 
  
“Will you tell us?” asked Elladan, growing curious as 
well. 
  
“Now?” Erestor raised an eyebrow. Reaching out, he 
managed to stir the stew. The spicy fragrances were 
already filling up the cabin. 
  
“Aye, now. Why do you live here? With those evil 
trees?” Elladan shifted against Erestor and rested his 
head against the adult’s chest. “They are evil! They 
scared me!” 
  
“But they didn’t scare you today, did they?” inquired 
Erestor in a worried tone. 
  
“Nay, they didn’t,” said Elrohir. “Did they behave 
because we were good?” 
  
Erestor wondered how to explain this to them. In the 
end, he decided not to try and he simply nodded his 
head once. “Aye, they did. As long as you are good, 
they will behave.” 
  
“We will behave until our Ada comes to get us.” 
Elladan grew sad and sniffled. “I wish Ada and Nana 
could have seen our snow Elf. It was the best snow Elf 
we ever made!” 
  
“Maybe the snow Elf will still be standing when he 
comes for you.” Erestor decided against telling the 
children about his plan to take them to the outskirts 
of the forest so their father could collect them. 
  
“You were going to tell us why,” said Elrohir, pushing 
back the sadness he felt now that Elladan had reminded 
him of the fact that their parents weren’t close. For 
one moment he had forgotten – he had been happy, but 
that moment was gone now. 
  
“Why what?” asked Erestor. He had hoped Elrohir had 
forgotten his original question, but it appeared that 
he wasn’t that lucky. 
  
Erestor sighed; he didn’t want to share his history, 
but one look at Elrohir told him that the Elfling 
wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. “What do you want to 
know?” 
  
“Why do you live here all alone?” repeated Elladan 
their original question. “Have you always lived here? 
Where are *your* Ada and Nana?” He slipped an arm 
around Erestor’s waist, pressing close. Lifting his 
head, his eyes sought out Erestor’s. Why would an Elf 
prefer to live alone when he could live at Imladris? 
  
A lump of emotions formed in Erestor’s throat. Where 
was he to start? Did he even know how it had begun 
himself? There had always been missing pieces to the 
puzzle that was his life! 
  
“Erestor? How did you come to live here?” Elrohir was 
growing concerned, seeing the distant expression in 
the adult’s eyes. 
  
“I don’t remember all of it,” started Erestor in a 
heavy voice. “The earliest memory I have is of my 
tutor, soothing me. I remember noise – lots of noise – 
and then we were moving away from it. My guardian took 
care of me.” 
  
The twins frowned at each other. That wasn’t what they 
had expected to hear! 
  
“We traveled for months… until we arrived here. He 
built this shelter, and made it a home. He taught me 
to read and write… Taught me which plants are 
poisonous and which can be eaten. I would have classes 
in the morning and in the afternoon, we explored our 
surroundings. I was happy…” 
  
“What happened?” Elladan managed to take hold of 
Erestor’s left hand and squeezed encouragingly. 
  
“He met with an accident. We were hunting and 
encountered a wild boar. The animal was aggressive and 
targeted us. We were running and my guardian tripped… 
I continued to run and didn’t dare to venture back 
until later. His neck had been broken and the boar had 
attacked him, even begun eating him. I brought him 
back to the cabin and buried him. I have been alone 
even since.” 
  
“When did this happen?” asked Elrohir in a tiny voice. 
  
“I reckon about sixty years ago… I cannot be certain 
though.” Erestor wondered why he had told them 
something that could haunt them in their dreams. It 
hadn’t been his intention to give them cause for 
nightmares! 
  
“You have been alone for sixty years?” Elladan’s eyes 
revealed shock. He couldn’t imagine being alone for 
more than a day! He *needed* Elrohir close! 
  
“Aye,” confirmed Erestor, forcing a smile onto his 
face. “But now you are here.” 
  
But Elrohir knew they couldn’t stay. “Maybe you can 
live in Imladris with us?” He was convinced their 
father would shortly come for them. 
  
“I cannot leave here, Elrohir.” 
  
“Why?” Elladan didn’t like this one bit! “Our Ada 
wouldn’t mind sharing Imladris with you! Lots of Elves 
live there!” 
  
“It is different for me, Elladan. I must stay here.” 
Erestor really shouldn’t confide in them. 
  
“Why is that?” ‘Why’ was Elrohir’s favorite word at 
the moment as it seemed to get most of his questions 
answered. 
  
Erestor shouldn’t really confide in them, but it had 
been so long since he had talked to someone about his 
life! “For as long as I can remember, Erestor told me 
to stay hidden and not to seek out any Elves.” 
  
“Erestor? But… but you are Erestor!” Confused, Elladan 
looked at Elrohir for an explanation, but his twin 
merely shrugged his shoulders. 
  
Erestor nodded. “My tutor’s name was Erestor.” 
  
This sounded odd, but the twins accepted it. They knew 
names were sacred and unique among the Firstborn. No 
Elf would be named after an Elf who was still alive. 
Even these tiny Elflings realized Erestor’s 
explanation didn’t make any sense. “So, this Erestor 
was your tutor and your guardian… and your name is 
also Erestor?” 
  
Erestor moistened his lips and closed his eyes. 
“Something like that.” 
  
“Erestor!” Growing impatient and frustrated, Elrohir 
pulled at a lock of Erestor’s hair. “I don’t 
understand any of this!” 
  
There was no getting out of this then, realized 
Erestor. He would have to be honest with them and tell 
them his life’s history. 
  
TBC 
  
1 Ada  –- dad, daddy, papa (Sindarin, noun) 
2 tôr (sing.) –- brother (Sindarin, noun) 
3  Nana –- mom, mommy, mama (Sindarin, noun) 
4 pyn-neth (pl.) –- young ones (Sindarin, noun, 
pronoun) 
5 Peredhil (pl.) -- half-Elves (Sindarin, noun) 
6 Melethril –- (fem.) lover (Sindarin, noun) 
7 Mae govannen –-  Well met –- spoken greeting 
(Sindarin, phrase) 
8 melethron  –- (male) lover (Sindarin, noun) 
9 pen-neth (sing.) –- young one (Sindarin, noun, 
pronoun) 
From the Council of Elrond Quenyan and Sindarin 
dictionary