Elladan and Elrohir knew they must speak with their father before the ladies woke from their nap. They went into the kitchen where the ladies of the first homely house were gathered, baking and talking. "Do you know where Ada is?" Elrohir asked no one in particular.
"He, your grandfather, and Haldir are working in the garden," replied Galadriel as she carried a pie to the window to cool, "although I fear not much work is getting done," she answered, smiling as she looked out into the gardens.
"Thank you, grandmother," Elrohir said. He and Elladan went outside and headed toward the vegetable garden. There was no one in sight, but they eventually found their father, grandfather, and Haldir behind the tool shed drinking from a large bottle of wine.
"Ada, may we please speak with you?" Elladan asked with a serious tone to his voice. "In private, please?" he added.
"There is nothing you cannot discuss with all of us," Celeborn interjected, a slight slur to his voice. "Are we not family?"
"Yes, of course," Elladan responded. "This is something we prefer to discuss only with Ada. We mean no disrespect, grandfather," he added quickly.
"Then do not be afraid to discuss whatever troubles you with the men of this family," Elrond added nearly falling from the rock he sat on. After receiving an odd look from the elves on either side of him, he said, "Elves. The elves of this family. I'm an elf, not a man, I forget that sometimes . . . " Elrond yanked the bottle from Haldir's grasp and took a deep drink from it.
"Right, then," Celeborn said, before sighing and propping his chin on his bent knees.
"As you can see, your father has had too much drink. Perhaps you might discuss this with all of us so that we all may help you with this problem you seek answers to," Haldir said a little too loudly, though it was obvious he was strangely the most sober of the three. "Consider us, your humble advisors," he said, with a bow of his head and a wave of his arm.
Elrond hiccupped in response.
'This will not do,' the twins thought to each other at the same moment.
'Any other time, I'd join in,' Elladan conveyed to Elrohir.
'This is too important to discuss with anyone in such a drunken state,' Elrohir agreed.
"This is very important, uncle," said Elladan in a scolding voice.
"Too important for us to take lightly," Elrohir added.
"Then come," Haldir said, motioning toward the bench that remained unused. "Have some wine and we shall discuss this matter." Elrond held the wine bottle out to his sons after taking another drink.
Elladan took the bottle, but instead of drinking from it he walked back to the house. Elrohir gave the trio and apologetic look before following. Behind them they could hear their uncle, father, and grandfather asking each other where the wine had gone.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Galadriel and Celebrian were sitting on the porch with Valarda, who was cradling the youngest of her eight children in her arms when the twins came along. The ladies ceased to fuss over the elfling when they noticed the pair of glum-looking elves drag themselves over to the porch swing.
"Father's drunk," Elladan said, lifting up the near empty bottle, and then flinging it uncorked toward the beach where it landed in the sand. Elrohir folded his hands in his lap, having a less fiery temper than his brother, and leaned back with a confirmative sigh. "So is grandfather," he added. "Uncle Haldir's fairly drunk, too."
"Then I assume you did not speak with them about your worries," frowned their mother. They both shook their heads. Valarda bundled up the baby and after giving the twins a reassuring little smile, went back into the house. "What is it that troubles you my sons?" Celebrian asked, moving to sit between them.
"Mother, we are wondering what our feelings for Alatariel mean. Why are we both feeling this strange but comforting feeling when we are with her? It is stronger still when we touch her or she touches us. Help us to understand, mother. Am I feeling El's feelings or are they my feelings El's feeling?" Elladan blurted out. Elrohir looked at him as if he'd gone mad having told them the whole story so quickly but did not interrupt. "I wanted to speak with Ada, he had a twin, and he would know how to tell these things apart. I know in the past you have told us to listen to our hearts, but even my heart is confused!"
Celebrian looked to her other son for his thoughts. "I will admit I want to know as well. And . . . and it all scares me a little. These are new feelings inside of me - us. Perhaps I should be excited, but I'm frightened. El," he said, looking past their mother and taking hold of his twin's hand. "I don't want to lose you, to lose our bond. I'd die if that happened."
"So would I. I want to think one of us will find happiness with Alatariel, but then, I grieve over what will happen to the other." He squeezed Elrohir's hand and said, "El, I don't want these feelings to go away, but I could never bear to lose having your thoughts in my head," he laughed. "I wish we could speak with Ada. He would know."
Galadriel had by now come to sit in one of the chairs across from them. "What you are feeling, my beloved grandsons, is very special. It is the gift of eternal love. You are finding the one you are meant to spend all eternity with."
"But which of us is the other half of her soul?" asked Elrohir.
"You are, Elrohir," answered Galadriel, "and you are, Elladan."
The twins blinked, confused. "Beg your pardon, do you mean to say, both of us?"
"Did you ever wonder at the strength of your bond?" questioned Galadriel. "There have been twins born long before you and there will be long after. Your birth was special, and something happened that perhaps never will again."
"Long before your father and I had you, he told me that he wished if ever we had twin sons that they would be inseparable, for he still missed his own brother so. The Valar blessed us, and instead of one son, gave us two with a fea shared between them," explained Celebrian. "I had always hoped you would discover this on your own, and as the years went on, it seemed unnecessary to tell you."
"That explains a lot," replied both twins at once.
"So, you are both destined to be with Alatariel," said Galadriel. She looked to Elladan and asked, "Tell me, does this feeling frighten you as it does your brother?"
"No, grandmother," Elladan answered. "I know I have never felt this sort of connection before, but it is exciting. It is like a new adventure for me. It is similar to the connection I have with El but different in ways I cannot explain."
"Mother," Elrohir asked quietly, "Is this feeling like the one you had when you met father?"
"I would imagine it is, my son. Your grandmother and I both felt much like you do now when we met our mates. Does this feeling please you? Do you feel yourselves wanting to spend more time with Alatariel? Can you not bear to be apart from her, even for a minute?"
Elladan nodded, and then grinned sheepishly. "I must admit these feelings do scare me a little, Nana. I hope this does not make me weak," he smirked, for he was known to be the fiercer of the two peredhil warriors.
"Of course not, my son. You are not the first to be frightened at the thought of finding your eternal mate. It seems daunting, but to have someone to spend forever with is a marvelous thing." Looking at both of her beautiful sons, she added, "This is but the beginning of many wonderful feelings you will experience."
"Your mother speaks the truth," Galadriel added. "Is it not wonderful to feel your bond grow stronger with each other as well as to Alatariel?"
"Our bond?" questioned Elladan.
"Your own bond will strengthen as the bond between the two of you and Alatariel grows. And your bond will be much stronger than the bonds known between two elves," said Galadriel.
"How is that?" wondered Elrohir.
Galadriel motioned to the little table on the porch. "You see the legs below it, three of them keeping the whole thing from falling over. Now, if you took away one of them, what would happen?"
"Whump!" said Elladan, making a motion with his arm of the table falling to the ground. Everyone laughed.
"But with three legs, the table stays up. With only two, there are other forces that are needed to hold the top up. You could prop it against the wall, or hold on to it. But with three, the table stands on its own."
Both twins stared at the table. "I'm going to pretend I'm not confused by what you just said because I'm just too happy to care," Elladan said.
Celebrian smiled with relief. "And you, Elrohir? How do you feel about all this?"
"Well, I feel wonderful of course, but what if she does not feel the same?" Elrohir asked. Elladan's face fell as he pondered this as well.
"What does your heart tell you?" Galadriel asked them.
The pair looked at one another and smiled. "That she is feeling the same feelings we are," they answered.
"Wow . . . this is incredible!" exclaimed Elrohir.
"Even better than finishing sentences," nodded Elladan. He paused and said, "Let's go and check on her."
"Just what I was thinking," Elrohir nodded as they stood.
"Do not try to rush her," advised Galadriel. "She is experiencing many new things all at once so you must be patient and all things will fall into place as they should."
The twins entered the house as a lone elf came around the side of the porch, staring at his feet as he walked. He stopped when he reached the steps, and after glancing at his mother and sister, turned toward the beach.
Frowning, Galadriel looked back to her daughter and touched her on the arm. “Go to him,” she said. “He needs to speak with someone, and he does not want to talk to me.”
“Why not you, Nana?” asked Celebrian as she stood.
Galadriel sighed. “He thinks I knew and kept her from him. That I disapproved in some way, though that was never the case. I did indeed search for her using all means I was able, be it mirror or mind. Please, walk with him at the very least if he does not wish to speak. The last thing we need is for him to try swimming across the sea,” she added wryly, standing up to enter the house.
Celebrian nodded and walked down the steps of the porch. It did not take long for her to reach Haldir’s log, where he was sitting and holding his flute in his hands. “I could get my harp, we could play together,” suggested Celebrian. Haldir shook his head and tucked away the small instrument, and so his sister sat down instead. “If you want, and I’m not saying you have to, you can always talk to me. I know exactly what it’s like to be stuck in Valinor while your beloved is on the other side of this big pond.”
Nodding, Haldir said softly, “Not now, Clebri.”
“Should I go?” she offered. Her brother shook his head and looked out over the vast sea that lapped at the shore. He bowed his head and released a shaky sigh before leaning his head against her shoulder. She placed a comforting arm around him and said, “Everyone’s busy in the house, no one will see you out here. I’ll stay as long as you need me to, and you don’t have to say a word.”
Celebrian felt her brother nod against her shoulder. “Thank you,” he sniffled, wiping at his eyes.