After two weeks of travel, the group stopped outside a building that was hidden by vines, leaves, bushes, and trees. The underneath all the greenery the building itself was clearly in ruin. Time was not kind to the once strong estate that once stood here.

"He's here?" Elrond asked looking up at the broken-down building. "From what I saw, he should be here, or at least was here recently," Maedhros replied as he dismounted. The others soon followed his lead and followed him inside. Elrond looked around inside the house and felt a sharp twinge of pain. He remembered this place clearly, this was the home that he grew up in with Elros, Maglor, and Maedhros. It hurt that Maglor could come here, possibly putting himself through more pain. Yet, this place was out of the way and well-hidden so it did make sense. He looked to Maedhros who was most likely thinking the same thing.

"It looks like someone was here very recently," Fingon said as he pointed to footsteps breaking a layer of dust.

"Right. I...he's here. I just know," Maedhros said. "Elrond? Can you come with me?"

"Of course," Elrond replied.

Maedhros looked at the twins and Fingon. "We'll wait here," Fingon said. He then put a hand on Maedhros's shoulder and gave him a small nod. 

Maedhors thanked him and looked to Elrond and nodded towards him. The two then walked up the creaking stairs. Maedhros listened carefully as he walked to an upper floor, he did his best to hear anything that could be his brother. He then heard movement from one of the rooms. Quickly moving to the door. he opened it slowly.

"Kano?" He asked as the door fully opened. He stepped into the darkened room, the room was the least covered in dust but there was still a good amount there. He looked around as he called his brother's name once more. He heard a soft noise from the corner. He looked over there and felt his heart shatter. He saw his brother curled up breathing weakly. He motioned Elrond to stay there as he walked over to him.

"Kano?" He asked softly.

Maglor shifted and opened his eyes. He looked up and stared up at Maedhros. "What? Nelyo? This....this...no. This is just another dream." He mumbled as he pulled his knees close and covered his ears.

Maedhros walked over and dropped to his knees a few feet away and said, "Kano. This isn't a dream."

Maglor huddled more into his corner and buried his face into his knees more. Maedhros inched closer and laid a hand on his brother's arm. Maglor looked up at him and blinked. Maedhros wrapped his arms around his brother and pulled him into a gentle hug.

"You're...you're real?" Maglor asked his voice just above a horse whisper. "but how?"

"That doesn't matter," Maedhros said softly. "I'm here though, you're going to be okay."

Maglor just crumbled against him and Maedhros did his best to keep his composer. He didn't have a good look at him but he could tell Maglor was banged up. His hands were covered in dirty bandages on his hands that had new and old blood strains. His hair was a matted and tangled mess, saying his clothes were ragged would be an understatement, he smelled strongly of the ocean, he was clearly thin under the rags, and all that was things that Maedhros could tell just by seeing him. He didn't even want to think about his mental state currently.

"Come. You'll be more comfortable on a bed," Maedhros said as he stood. lifting his brother to his feet. Maglor just clung to him as if he didn't Maedhros would simply vanish. Maedhros lead him to the bed, thankfully it looked like Maglor slept there and not on the floor. He sat Maglor down and nodded to Elrond who watched by the door.

"Kano. Someone else is here to see you," Maedhros said.

Maglor looked up a bit and blinked as Elrond knelt down in front of him. "Hello, Atar."

"Elrond. You're..." He began but it seemed that this was a bit to much for him and his eyes rolled back and he almost fell forward. Maedhros caught him and gently pulled him back and laid him down.

His breathing was slow and now that he was laying down it was clear to see his wrecked state. He was clearly weak, most likely starving, and just past exhausted. Maedhros frowned looking at his brother as he moves some matted hair out of his face.

"He's in no state to go anywhere," Elrond said softly.

Maedhros nodded and looked up at him, "Elrond. Go downstairs and tell Fingon that he's here but he's not doing well. Then get some fresh bandages and anything you will need to take care of any wounds he had. Knowing him he'll won't let you bandage or heal any wound."

"Right," Elrond said as he quickly left the room. While he was gone, Maedhros looked down at Maedhros's unconscious body. He gently took his hand and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Kano. I'm so sorry for leaving you alone."

Maglor replied with only soft breathing. Maedhros let go of his hand and sat on the edge of the bed by his brother. After a few minutes, Elrond came back in holding fresh bandages, a jug of water, a glass, and a few more things. Maedhros came over and took some things from him and set them up on the nightstand.

"I can't do much right now," Elrond said. "I can clean up his hands and change those bandages."

Maedhros nodded and sat on the other side of the bed. Incase Elrond would needed any help. He watched as Elrond rolled up Maglor's tattered sleeves and carefully unwrapped the bandages from Maglor's hand. Maedhros froze a bit at the sight of his brother's hand. It was scared and burnt, Elrond swallowed some but ignored it and wet a clean cloth and gently began cleaning the dried blood away.

Maedhros put a hand on Maglor's shoulder as his brother tensed. Elrond just continued to work cleaning his hand and then dipping the fresh bandages into some sort of liquid and then carefully rebandaged his hand. He then moved on to his other hand and did the same thing. When he was done cleaning and changing the bandages he picked up the other thing he brought in. Which looked to be soft riding gloves.

"I know I can not do much for the burn but I used some herbs to help the scars. Also, perhaps this would help make things a little easier," Elrond said as he slid on the gloves to Maglor's hands.

"Hopefully," Maedhros replied.

"When he wakes up well get him to eat and drink a bit. Fingon and my sons are cleaning the kitchen up and getting some food together for him." Elrond said.

"Good," Maedhros replied.

Elrond replied with a simple nod.

~~~

Maglor shifted a bit and blinked open his eyes. The first thing he noticed was Maedhros's voice speaking softly to someone. The next thing was the pain in his hands felt more manageable, he felt something soft and very cozy through the bandages.

He slowly sat up and looked forward. Elrond and Maedhros were speaking quietly. "Nelyo?" Maglor asked his voice horse and scratchy.

"Kano," Maedhros said moving over to his side.

"I...I wasn't dreaming," He said as he hugged him.

Maedhros smiled softly and hugged him back. "No. No, you weren't," He replied.

"How? How are you here?" Maglor asked.

"Right now, don't worry about it," Maedhros replied as he let go and had him sit back against pillows.

Maglor looked to Elrond and he blinked, "Elrond?"

"Hi, Atar," he replied moving over and hugging him. Maglor hugged back and shook just a bit. After a moment Elrond gently had him let go and moved to the table in the room and took a tray off it.

"Atar, you need to eat," he said placing the tray down on Maglor's lap. "Just a little,"

Maglor looked at the food, it was just a bit of bread and some fruit. There was a glass of water as well but other than that there was nothing much. "Please," Maedhros said. "You need to eat and get your strength back." 

Maglor didn't want to protest right now or get into a discussion about why he stopped eating. So, he nodded and he slowly ate a bit. Maedhros sat right by him as did Elrond, it hurt him to see them looking so worried at him.

"Do you have any other wounds?" Asked Elrond after Maglor had finished eating.

He shook his head, "not really. Just a few scraps,"

"Can I see them go make sure they are okay? Please?" Elrond asked.

Maglor sat foward and took off his shirt letting Elrond look over the few scraps he had. Elrond saw them and thankfully they were just scratches. So Elrond had no trouble in cleaning them up. Yet, as Maglor reached for his shirt Maedhros moved it away.

"Your clothes are dirty, torn, and smell. I am going to get something fresh for you." He said as he stood up.

Maglor didn't have the strength to protest this, so he settled back and waited as Maedhros left the room. He walked down the stairs and Fingon stood up from the living room.

"How is he?" Fingon asked.

"Not well," he replied with a shake of his head. "Yet, he's not fighting against the help right now. So that's a good sign, he what's the state of the bathrooms? I think a hot bath could do him some good."

"I haven't checked up stairs yet," he replied. "Yet, I can go look and I can get one started for him if it's good enough,"

"Good. Thank you, Finno." He said. Fingon nodded and climbed the stairs as Maedhros got Maglor a fresh change of clothes. Once he got it he went right to the bathroom to see how it was. By some miracle it wasn't broken. It would take some time to be cleaned but it would work just to clean him off.

"I can clean it up, you go back to your brother." Fingon said as he rolled up his sleeves.

Maedhros looked at him and sighed. "Okay," he replied softly. He turned and went back to Maglor's room.

Maglor looked up and asked, "who were you talking too?"

Elrond looked at him as he put the clothes down on the edge of the bed. "Fingon," Maedhros replied.

"Finno's here...he's alive?" He asked.

"Yes, there is a lot to tell but it can wait till later. He's cleaning up one of the bathrooms a bit for you. The water will be cold but it'll be good enough for you just to clean yourself up a bit." Maedhros replied.

Maglor looked at him and then Elrond who nodded. He looked down and sighed some. He nodded after a moment and Maedhros breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the hard part was coming. The fact to convince Maglor to come with them back to Valinor. That would be the hard part.