Despite their tumultuous beginning, Elrond and Elros both knew that Maglor and Maedhros were not ones to be easily made angry. Annoyed? Sure. Irritated? Of course. But truly angry? It was a rare sight, even the twins knew.
But what Maglor knew was that ever since he had returned, Maedhros had been more ill tempered than was usual. His gentle, charming smile and kind, twinkling eyes were no longer what met the younger Feanorian when he gazed upon his elder brother’s face. What greeted him instead was a stoic,neutral expression, firm and austere in nature, with stern, cold eyes. Maglor trembled beneath them more than once, and shuddered at even the thought of them, only because of what he once knew. But despite his thinning patience and fraying psyche, Maedhros had never snapped at the twins beyond a mere chide or quick terror inducing glare when they were getting out of hand.
He had not once truly lost his temper with them.
Maglor and the twins had been playing by the fire, and the twins had been getting rather rowdy as Maedhros made an attempt to ignore them and focus on his work. Anything to keep him from losing it. But then one of the twins accidentally knocked something fragile to the floor, and it shattered. Maglor made a quick move to clear the pieces so that the twins would not injure themselves, pinching their cheeks with a smile and a kindhearted “it’s alright, don’t fret yourselves over it. Neither of you are hurt and that is what is important. Do try to be careful next time.” And they were. But their voices grew louder. Elrond accidentally stepped on Elros’ foot, who in typical sibling fashion, pushed him with an angry comment. The moment they heard a loud bang from behind, and a booming voice, all of their blood ran cold as even Maglor turned in surprise.
“That is enough! From all of you!” Maedhros scolded, still working hand clutching a dagger in his fist that had been plunged into the table. Maglor gasped, before glaring back at his brother.
“That is mahogany!” He exclaimed.
“Would you rather it be you?! Or one of those.. those.. those vermin that you brought here?!” Maglor’s very heart trembled at his brother’s words, and the venom with which they were said, but he stood his ground and moved to shield the twins from his brother’s rage.
“Maedhros, you don’t mean that.” The darkness that shrouded Maedhros’ gaze said otherwise. Silently, the twins shuffled off and out of the room.
Terror. Unbridled terror. Maglor was asleep, of course he was asleep. Why wouldn’t he be asleep when he needed to be awake.
Maedhros shoved the thoughts into the back of his mind. He would deal with them later. He could feel his heart ramming against his ribcage in his ears as he frantically searched the keep for Elrond and Elros, turning over pillows and blankets, throwing open doors, checking in cabinets and below furniture. His heart dropped when he failed to find them. It was happening again. He frantically threw his cloak over his shoulders and grabbed his lantern. Against his better judgement, he grabbed his sword. The twins would be terrified of him if he found them, but if they were in danger he needed to be prepared. Without a glance back, he stepped out into the frigid night.
Frantically, in a panic and urgency he had not felt in millennia, he made his way through the thick of the winter, pushing branches, brambles and thickets out of his path as he called their names into the dark. He glanced in every direction, frantically, but there was no sign of the twins. Defeat cloaked around him like a blanket of stone, and he sank to the floor of the forest, his head in his hands as his breath seemed to be stolen in panic, the tears freezing instantly on his reddened cheeks. He had failed, again. He could hear the voices taunting him.
Somewhere, through the night, he heard a rustle. Looking up in a final attempt for hope, he stood to his feet and grabbed the lantern, following the sound with swift steps, tripping over a tree root in his haste.
The moment his eyes caught fearful eyes behind dark locks, powdered with snow, he felt his heart would stop beating. Slipping on the frozen earth, coated with a thin layer of ice, he threw down the lantern and his sword as he collapsed in front of the twins. They froze, and glanced back at him unblinkingly, as he stared with eyes overflowing with tears, hand gently resting against their cheeks. Before any of them had time to think, he was firmly pulling them to his chest in a tight hug, before throwing his cloak over them.
By the time they returned to the keep, Maglor greeted them at the door in a panic, scooping the twins into his arms like a mother hen as Maedhros refused to meet his gaze, standing afar off to the distance, wiping his cheek on his sleeve. Without a word, he pushed past Maglor and disappeared into the hall.
It was late, Elrond and Elros were getting tired, and they were still shivering from the cold. Silently, they sat at a table, yawning from time to time as Maedhros silently stood over a pot, stirring it and observing it with unbreakable focus. Without a word, he grabbed two bowls, scooping a hefty serving of soup into both before setting them in front of the twins.
“Eat. It will help to warm you.” He said, coolly. There was no anger in his voice, only heavy guilt and remorse that he hid rather poorly. The twins glanced at him, before watching as he walked off to another room for a moment. With a shrug, they ate. They knew it was an apology, and a way to make things right, as simple as it was. Elrond smiled faintly.
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