Thank you to Elf_of_hogwarts,  siso_sissan, joellamariah,  fateclaws,  nathalieAlice, and  crystalily2003 for commenting on the previous chapter! 

The twins glanced back at their father, not wanting to obey. Elladan and Elrohir broke into a sprint, heading for the trees. Two orcs turned to follow them, crashing through the underbrush as they followed the scent of the elflings.

The twins ran as if their lives depended on it, away from the swamp, in the direction of the last seen patrol. They had to find help and take it back to Elrond. Elladan's breath came in short gasps and chokes, hammering at his ribs. Elrohir felt as if his insides wanted to explode out of his mouth.

Elladan tripped over a root poking out of the ground and sprawled to the mud. As he scrambled to his feet, hearing the orcs coming closer behind him, a cold hand closed over his ankle and jerked him back, lifting him from the ground.

Elladan screamed as the rotten breath of the orc washed over him, its gnarled teeth and beady eyes coming into view as it raised him to stare into his face with a hiss. The monster pulled his sword out of its sheath.

Elladan twisted, fighting for control, but the struggle was useless. He heard Elrohir let out a cry of horror. A moment later the orc dropped his sword with a yell as a rock smashed into his wrist.

"Run, Elrohir!" Elladan shrieked as the orc blundered into the trees, holding him in its tight grip.

"Elladan!" Elrohir wailed.

Rocks and sticks dug into Elladan's back as the orc dragged him over the ground behind him. He groaned with each jolt and cut the forest floor dealt him, his heart sinking as the orc hauled him back toward Elrond in the swamp.

The orc snapped off a branch from the next tree and let Elladan fall to the ground. The elfling groaned and pulled himself to his hands and knees, his torn skin stretching in agony. He let out a cry of pain as the stick whizzed down to lash across his arms, the movement reminding him bitterly of Elrond's spankings, and realized the orc intended to beat him to death.

Elladan stumbled to his feet under the force of the stinging blows and tried to run but the orc lunged after him and brought him to the ground. Elladan crawled back and smashed himself against the roots of a tree, his arms over his face. He could feel the welts swelling on his skin already.

Elladan whimpered, the pain spreading. He felt as strangely helpless as he had during Elrond's past switching's in Rivendell but the lashes were harder, and the smell of the orc sickened him. He wanted to run but the orc loomed up in his view, blocking him.

"Elladan!"

Elrond's voice rang through the trees as he emerged from the underbrush. The cracking of sticks behind him told of the orcs pursuing him. Elladan scrambled away as Elrond's sword cut out the orc's heart and ducked for cover behind the thick trunk of the tree.

An arrow whistled through the air and took an orc with it to the ground. Elladan looked up to see Legolas perched on a broad branch, loading another arrow to his longbow, his face a determined line. A moment later Thranduil sprinted onto view, his blade drawn, motioning for Legolas to stay out of the fight.

Elladan turned his face away as the elf King and Elrond finished off the last few orcs. Legolas shimmied down out of the tree and came to his side, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Elrohir," Elladan said weakly, thinking of the last orc chasing his twin. His fears were unfounded as Elrohir darted out of the trees, his expression pale. Landion followed, his hands covered in oozing blood and a dagger in one hand.

"Landion! Are you hurt?" Thranduil demanded.

Landion shook his head, tottering over to Thranduil with a dazed expression.

"He killed the orc chasing me," Elrohir explained. "He saved my life."

Thranduil turned to the scouts behind him. "Burn these bodies. Send patrols to search the rest of the swamps for orcs, and order the place kept under surveillance. I will send Hyrondal out with further orders."

The leader of the patrol bowed and nodded, moving to perform his task. Thranduil took Legolas and Landion by the hands and said, "Come, let us return to the palace and clean up. Elladan, you could use a quick trip to the healers."

"It—it is not bad," Elladan answered, his voice shaking. "It—it is not much worst then what Elrond used to do to our behinds with the strap."

Thranduil gave him a long look. "It is clearly much worst, Elladan. I hate to think Elrond hit you as hard as the orc was."

Elladan winced as the cuts on his arms smarted. He followed Thranduil from the swamp with his head drooping.

The cuts on his arms still smarted, come to think of it, Elladan reflected. A few minutes walk from the palace; Elrond had stopped him and Elrohir to deliver his speech.

"I swear to you both I will not hurt you again. I give you my word, Elladan and Elrohir, you will never be spanked or beaten to switched or whipped again. I swear in the name of the valar I will not paddle or belt you again. The strap in Rivendell will be destroyed. And may I be struck down if I go back on my word."

Elrohir stared into Elrond's eyes, making an effort to control himself after the nightmare of running from an orc in the forest. He found he could not collect his dazed senses enough to question Elrond's word. He simply gave an unsteady nod and continued back to the palace.

A hot cup of tea would help calm his nerves and he knew Harune would have the mugs ready.

Harune delivered the hot cup to his hands as soon as Elrohir sank down to the sofa and leaned back to sip it. Elladan sat beside him, an identical mug in hand.

"Let me run a hot bath for you all," Thranduil said. "And, Elladan, I think you could use a little salve on your arms."

Elladan winced as he raised his mug. "It—it does hurt. Much. I mean, Elrond used to spank us and . . ."

"You finish your tea, bathe, and Harune will give you a tin of salve," Thranduil answered. He left the room, leaving Elrond to sit in his armchair.

"I shot an orc," Legolas told Harune. He looked pale but his voice held steady. "I killed it. I was not sure if I could hit it."

Landion looked at his stained hands. "I killed one to. I-I have blood all over me. The new robe you gave me is ruined, ada."

Harune hugged him from behind. "Ion, your new robe is not as precious as your life. A quick bath will clean you up and the tea will settle your nerves. I am proud you put your own fears behind you to save Elrohir's life."

Landion turned into his embrace to swallow and sniff and smile. "I could not let him die—I-I wanted to run and hide."

"Me to," Elrohir said. "Hannon le for being braver then me."

Landion nodded and accepted his cup of tea. "Will the scouts make sure there are no more orcs hiding in the forest?"

"The scouts will do an admirable job with Hyrondal to lead them," Harune assured him. "Now drink your tea."

"Do you believe me, Elladan and Elrohir?" Elrond asked his sons as Harune left the room. The twins looked up at him and squirmed over their cups, the steam from the mugs blowing over their flushed faces.

"Not—not as much as we would like to," Elrohir admitted. "We know you swore an oath not to spank us but . . . you cannot prove it is true."

"I can try," Elrond answered. "If you will give me a chance."

Legolas jumped up and ran from the room as Thranduil beckoned from the door. His footsteps sprinted in the direction of the bathroom.

"We will let you try," Elrohir said as he sipped his tea. "But we will not make any promises to return to Rivendell with you, no matter the results."

Elrond's face fell slightly but he replied, "Of course. Are—are you hurt?"

Elladan looked at his arms. "They sting; being hit with a stick hurts. I was more afraid the orc would start stabbing at me with the pointy end."

"After your bath, I will be happy to rub salve into the marks," Elrond offered, unconsciously holding his breath as he awaited the reply.

Elladan looked at his twin and gave a little shrug. "All right. But it would have been nice if you had offered to rub salve into our hurting skin in Rivendell after you finished 'punishing' us."

"I am sorry about what I have done to you in the past. If I could take back time, I would rewind it and make it so Celebrian and I never hurt you. But since I am without the ability, please forgive me for everything I put you through."

Elrond's voice was sincere and his eyes were hopeful but Elrohir looked into them without a flinch. "We accept your apology. But we cannot forgive you for everything you made us suffer until you show us you mean it."

"And I hope I can prove it," Elrond said quietly. "I want to show you how much I love you. I want to give you all the love you missed."

Elrohir looked at his twin and nodded. "We would like that." He smiled softly. "We never missed the love, Elrond. You gave us so little we snatched it when we could. The rest of the time we hoped in desperation you would stop using love as an excuse to hurt us."

"I will throw the excuse aside. I will never use it again."

Elrohir looked up as Legolas came into the room with his hair in wet tendrils on his shoulders. Thranduil entered behind him, flinging the damp towel in his hands over the back of the closest chair. Legolas giggled as he sprawled onto the sofa. "Remember the first time you gave me a bath, ada?"

Thranduil pretended to groan. "How could I forget the day? I was as wet as you by the time it was over and I never got in the tub!"

Legolas rolled onto his back and dragged his head up to rest on the narrow end of the sofa. "I might have splashed you once or twice."

Thranduil's eyebrow rose in mockery. "Once or twice? Is that how you remember it? Elladan, Elrohir, your bathes are ready."

Elrond rose from his seat and followed the twins from the room. Harune looked after him.

"Do you think he means what he said, ada?" Landion asked, looking into Harune's eyes.

The elf shrugged. "I do not know, Landion. Elrond seems to bounce back and forth his beliefs. We will have to wait and see how much sincerity Elrond puts into his oath."

"I hope he can do it," Landion said earnestly. "I do not hate for the things he has done. I hope he can make the twins happy. They deserve so much more then he gave them."

Harune patted his dirty head with a broad smile. "I know you do, Landion. Now you come with me for your bath!"

Legolas turned to Thranduil as Harune and Landion left the room. "Ada, is it wrong if I hate Elrond a little bit? I do not like him much because I know what it feels like to be hurt by someone big and strong and I-I do not like people who exact their strength upon those smaller then them."

Thranduil sat on the floor, resting his chin on the edge of the couch, looking up at Legolas. He brushed damp hair out from under his hand and answered, "Do you need to dislike him? It does not seem to be your dislike shows."

"I feel it," Legolas answered. "It is not strong and I feel it when I think of him beating the twins. I want him to change to, and be to the twins like what you are to me."

Thranduil patted his son's hand. "And I think Landion feels the same way. He did not say it but I am sure he feels a little anger toward Elrond for what he did to Elladan and Elrohir. I know how I felt toward Lord Katar about what he did to you."

"Harune killed him," Legolas said, thinking back to the day spent fleeing the Forbidden Grove.

"Yes, but the damage to you had already been done."

"It is faded now," Legolas promised.

Thranduil smiled. "I know. I could feel your heart and soul healing. It is part of our special bond."

Above the two, Elrond changed in his room and left his torn clothes to the seamstresses of the palace to mend. Combing his hair, he stepped out into the hall as Elladan and Elrohir tumbled from the bathroom, a cloud of steam following them. The elf lord watched his sons cross the hall, giggling and wringing water out of their hair before plunging into their room. Elrond leaned back to put the comb on the table inside the door of his room and snatched the tin of white salve from it.

Elladan and Elrohir turned at his entrance, slipping into thin white robes in preparation for the evening. Elrohir moved aside. "I am not bruised, Elrond. Elladan needs a massage more then me."

"Is it your arms or are there more lashes elsewhere?" Elrond asked as Elladan flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes. Elladan cracked his eyes open to stare at him and shook his head.

"It is mostly my arms. I have a few cuts on my back and legs but the majority of the stick fell on my arms."

"And here," Elrond said, touching a scape on the side of Elladan's face. The elfling winced.

Elrond unscrewed the top of the salve and put it down on the bed. He dipped his fingers into the cool white ointment and plastered one of Elladan's arms with it. Sitting beside his son, he used both hands to work the salve into Elladan's skin, his hand feeling over the raised welts on his arm.

"Does it hurt?" Elrond asked.

"A little," Elladan answered. He considered. "It is more of an ache, actually."

Elrond nodded and kept rubbing. When he finished the first arm, he moved onto the next. As he rubbed the last bits of salve into the arm, Elladan propped himself up on his elbows. Elrond shut the tin and tossed it to Elrohir.

"Hannon le," Elladan said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He swung his legs over the side.

"Of course," Elrond said, reaching out to gather Elladan's hair and pull it off his shoulders onto his back.

"It is almost dinner time," Elladan said, twisting to look at him. He slid off the bed and reached for Elrohir's hand. He held the door for Elrond and the trio descended to dinner.

OoOoO

Erestor felt her growing belly as Ariel grinned.

"I want to have a portrait done of me and you and the baby," she said. "When the leaves turn to fall, the color will be perfect to put to paint."

Erestor kissed her cheek. "We will have to find someone who is willing to paint a beautiful and naked woman else the baby will not really be in the picture, hidden under a dress."

Ariel slapped his arm with teasing eyes. "Really, Erestor, what has gotten into you? Come have a hot pie to help settle whatever it is you have been drinking."

Erestor protested. "Nothing have I drunk. But I will take a pie."

Thank you so much for reading. I love hearing your thoughts at the close of each chapter and being inspired by what you have to say.

I am back from Australia! My aunt has a beautiful little girl and I have memories I will cherish forever. Coming home was a huge wave of Deja Vu as I realized how much I love my life despite having experienced a new one. I have worlds inside me. 

Elrond is growing better and better at being a father. What did you think of his vow?

Next Chapter: Elrond's tests begin . . .