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An additional thank you to Elf_of_hogwarts  and  @KaziaBak  @arranguz for adding this story to their reading lists! You people are amazing for spreading the story. 

Elrohir stared into his mother's eyes, clutching Arwen tight to him. He huddled back as Celebrian took a step toward him and whimpered.

"No! I will not let you hurt her!" Elrohir cried, turning his face away. "Leave us alone!"

Celebrian held out her hands. "I will not hurt anyone, ion nin. Please believe me."

Two tears streaked down Elrohir's face. "You are lying! I-I know you are lying. You always hurt us when we refused to share our toys!"

"Winomo nin, I will not hurt anyone," Celebrian said in distress, sitting down on her knees in a gesture of peace. "I know I have hurt you and your twin, and I am sorry. Please forgive me and believe when I say I am not intending to punish your sister."

Elrohir clung tighter to Arwen, and the girl squirmed in discomfort, fussing. Behind Celebrian, Elrond stood biting his lip. Elladan's eyes were scared from beside him. Two babies crawled on the floor beside the couch, the son and daughter of two of the palace inhabitants brought up to play with Arwen.

"Saes," Celebrian said softly.

"We will not hurt you. We will not spank you. I promise."

Elrohir shook his head. They did not understand he did not want to see his sister spanked. They would never understand!

Arwen wriggled free of her brother's tight grip and ran to her mother. Elrohir stared at her before he stumbled to his feet and fled from the room with a sob.

"Elrohir!" Elrond cried, holding out a hand.

"Muindor nin," Elladan choked.

Celebrian lifted the curtain from the window and looked out with a pinched brow. "Elrond, it is growing dark."

"I hope Elrohir has not run outside," Elrond said. His fears were confirmed as Galadriel swept into the room.

"Elrohir rushed past me at the gates and ran into the forest," she said. "It is growing dark and I advise he is found before nightfall."

Elrond nodded. "I will go. Elladan, stay here; eat your dinner."

"I am not hungry," Elladan mumbled.

"Obey your father," Galadriel said sharply.

Elladan's head jerked up at her tone. At the same time Celebrian's cold voice said, "My children do not take orders from you, nana. I will thank you not to speak to them in such a manner again. If anyone speaks to them with your tone, the right belongs to their parents and their parents alone."

The Lady of Light looked as though a cloud of darkness had swept across her, as though someone had slapped her. "You are still my daughter."

"Yes," Celebrian said, taking Elladan's hand, "But I have a life of my own. I am not living under your roof or under your hand. Goodnight."

Elladan looked up at Celebrian as she stepped toward the door as if contemplating how safe he would feel with her before he followed. Elrond cast a last look back at Galadriel as she sat down in an armchair with a clouded face before he plunged down the hall.

Harune supplied the elf lord with a lantern and his cloak at the gates. Elrond nodded his thanks and strode into the forest. After living two years in Mirkwood, he knew most of Elrohir's favorite paths and even some of the glades his son fled to when he wanted to weep alone.

A quick search of the closest glades revealed no Elrohir. The light of his lantern flashed off slick rocks and the rough bark of trees as Elrond called his son's name.

The candle in the lantern flickered as he walked and a cool breeze ruffled his cloak. Elrond bit his lip, Elrohir's frightened eyes as he clung to his sister burned into his brain. He knew what Elrohir feared would happen to his sister for not sharing her toys.

Elrond thought of the two babies in the living room. Their parents would be coming to fetch them now. Arwen had played with them for a good two hours before Elladan and Elrohir had come in. Toward the end of the two hours, Arwen's favorite stuffed animal brought from Rivendell with Celebrian had become the center of attention. When one playmate wanted the stuffed animal, Arwen had held onto her squirrel, using it to fend off her playmate. A certain amount of tears followed.

Elrond peered at the shortening candle and realized he must make his way back to the palace soon.

Staring at the golden light falling in a circle around him, Elrohir's horrified face swam into the back of Elrond's head. The moment after Arwen had smacked her playmate with her stuffed toy, his eyes had opened wide. And when Celebrian rose to pick Arwen up, Elrohir had hurled himself on his sister and dragged her away from his mother.

A muffled sob shattered Elrond's sad reflections and he almost tripped over Elrohir. He put down the lantern and knelt down by the elfling. Elrohir raised his tear-stained face from his knees to look at him.

"Are you hurt?" Elrond asked.

Elrohir wiped his nose and sniffed. He shook his head. "N-no. Is-is Arwen alright? Are you going to spank me?"

"I will not spank you and neither will your mother. Arwen is fine, penneth nin. I promise no one hurt her."

Elrohir eyes filled with confused tears. "But I do not understand. She hit Lunai with the squirrel . . . I saw her!"

Elrond sat down and moved beside Elrohir, being careful not to frighten him with sudden movements. "I know. I saw it to. But Arwen will not be spanked."

"I was," Elrohir said in a whisper, leaning against him.

"How will Arwen learn if we punish her for hitting her playmate by hitting her?"

Elrohir's lips trembled. "I was," he repeated.

Elrond hugged him. "I know. And what did you learn?"

"Nothing. Except that it hurt. And—and made us scared."

"Well, we do not want Arwen to be scared."

"Why?" Elrohir demanded. "Because she is a girl?"

"No. Celebrian and I are done hurting our children in the name of discipline. We will not spank you even as a last resort. I am sorry you experienced all the pain of our spankings but do you want better for your sister?"

Elrohir looked up at him. "Yes. I want better for me and Elladan to."

"We will not spank you and not your sister, Elrohir. It is all or none. And Celebrian and I want it to be none."

"What—what happened to Arwen for hitting Lunai?" Elrohir quavered.

"Celebrian wanted to remove Arwen briefly to keep a fight from happening, and put the squirrel away for later," Elrond explained.

"No scolding?" Elrohir asked.

"It is much easier to remove the item of conflict, explain to Arwen it is only for her when she is alone, give Arwen a few minutes to calm down and let her keep playing when she is ready," Elrond explained.

Elrohir looked down at the ground, thinking about Elrond's words as if weighing the truth behind them.

"Will you come home?" Elrond asked.

Elrohir nodded. He fidgeted. "Will you carry me?"

"You have to walk at least half ways," Elrond said firmly.

Elrohir scrambled to his feet as Elrond picked up the lantern. He took Elrond's hand and began the walk home. Elrond carried Elrohir to his room and set him down to pick the twigs out of his hair and hand him a nightshirt to replace his muddy robe. After eating the hot dinner Harune brought up on a tray, Elrond tucked Elrohir into bed beside his twin, kissed his sons goodnight, and departed.

Soft golden light in his room showed Celebrian was sitting up waiting for him.

OoOoO

"We name you for the beautiful night you were born on," Ariel said, looking down at the baby in her lap. "The stars were shining and it seemed gentle wings brought them to us. Welcome to the world, little Nightwing."

The baby grinned at her, his eyes reflecting the stars above. A circle of candles set in the grass burned around her, melting puddles of wax into the ground. Incense floated from two brass bowls and a colorful quilt covered the grass at the base of Summit's Peak. Ariel plumped her pillow and lay back, putting Nightwing between her and Erestor.

"It is not quite an original naming ceremony," she said.

Erestor covered her hand with his. "But I like it just the way it is." He tickled Nightwing's chin and the baby laughed.

Ariel rolled onto her belly. "He will make more noise then ever as he grows."

Erestor shrugged. "I do not mind. He will make less as he keeps growing."

Nightwing cried for food and Ariel picked him up to feed him. "You know, I could hear the twins fighting when they were little. I would hear things breaking. And I could hear what followed next."

Erestor knew what she thought of. "Our son can burn down the house and I will not spank him."

"I know you will not. You do not have to say it."

"But you needed to hear it," Erestor said.

Nightwing was asleep in her arms, still latched to her breast. Ariel looked down at him and smiled. Midnight black fuzz covered his scalp. "I do not think of Nyril when I see our baby boy. I think of us; how you held my hand while he was being born and how you hold him at night so I can sleep. He is not Nyril's son anymore; he is ours. And he always will be."

She leaned down to kiss Nightwing's head and then leaned across to kiss her husband.

I think Elrohir will begin to trust his mother after this, don't you? He has a brave heart wanting to defend his little sister.

And to you, readers, I thank you for taking the time to read each new chapter. I love hearing from you; your thoughts and suggestions always contribute to the next chapter of the story.

Next Chapter: Legolas mistakes a certain elf for his father.