If you were in the halls and not asleep, you would hear the sounds of whimpers echoing through the dimly lit halls of Imladris. If you were in a certain bedroom, you would see a young elfling fitfully tossing and turning in his bed. You would also see sweat beading the small forehead, and tiny fists clutching the sheets. Perhaps also you would catch a small voice cry out in fear.

Here we begin our tale.

A small elfling shot up in his tousled bed, looking around him in confusion. He felt alone, and frightened. The small forehead crinkled in fear. He had never felt like this before, lifting his arm to his head he wiped away the sweat that covered his face. His bed sheets were wrinkled and damp from his nightmare. Scurrying to the side of his great bed, he lightly jumped to the floor. The small elf glanced around him frowning. Only recently his father and mother had set up separate bedrooms for him and his brother, both rooms lay across from each other, but it was still weird to wake up alone instead of beside the other who looked so much like himself.

The young elfling darted to the door and opened it, before entering the halls, he glanced around him to make sure that no one saw him. He tiptoed to his brother's room and reached up above his head to reach the door handle. The door clicked open and he pushed it open slightly poking his head around it.

"Ella?" The young elf whispered into the darkness.

There was no answer. The youth frowned, and tiptoed to the great bed that lay in the middle of the room. His brother's room was almost the same as his; the only differences were the colours. Where his room held the scenes of the ocean, filled with pale and dark blues. His brother's was filled with the forest and colours of green and gold. So different yet alike these two were, there was the always present problem of telling them apart. One was slightly, perhaps a fraction of an inch shorter. The other never missed anything. His eyes were always scanning the grounds, or looking around him in interest. The other was always getting into trouble, finding mischief, while the other tried to get out of trouble. One loved reading and glancing at pictures in his father's chambers. The other only looking at the pictures that painted the great room of his parents.

Their alikeness was uncanny to those who did not know them. The same grey eyes, same dark hair which hung just below their shoulders. Dark hair hung loose around their shoulders, waiting for their coming of age day when they would receive their first braids. They both had identical smiles.

The young elf climbed up onto the bed and scrambled to the lump on the other side. He reached his small hand over and poked the soft bedding. He sat back stunned, then reached his hand out and pulled the covers down. There was nothing. He glanced around the dark room while climbing down off the great bed. He walked over to the balcony and poked his head around the doors that separated the rooms.

Shrugging his shoulders, he exited the room and walked down the halls towards his father's chambers. Standing on his tiptoes to reach the handle the door opened slightly and he walked inside. His brother must have crawled in with his parents. He looked at his father's sleeping face; his eyes were glazed over signalling his father in the path of dreams. He tuned around and picked up the small stool in the corner and stood on it to look over his father's sleeping form. Still unable to see the middle of the bed, the young elfling crawled onto the bed, careful not to disturb his father. His brother was not there either. He swallowed. His brother would not wander without him, especially at night.

He crawled down from the stool, and exited that room, to look in the other rooms of the house.  The muffled whispers of his parents came on deaf ears as he walked down the halls passing his and his brother's rooms.

"What is he doing out of bed?" The mother whispered to her husband.

"I do not know." Came the muffled reply.

"Perhaps you should go find out, then?"

The father grumbled but sat up and climbed out of his bed, and followed the youth who kept darting in and out of rooms, as though he were looking for something.

The young elfling walked down the great steps of his father's house, heading towards the kitchen. But after entering, he found no trace of him there either. On his way out, the younger of the two elflings grabbed a pastry sitting on a plate by the door. He stuffed it in his mouth and wandered towards the council halls. He stopped at the great oak doors, and once again stood on his toes to reach the door handles. As the door opened a great gust of wind blew in, causing the elf to gasp surprised. He gingerly stepped out into the darkness, but a hoot from a night owl, caused the young elf to whimper startled, and turn and dash back through the doors. Poking his head around the corner, he looked for the great beast. He shook his head and closed the door with difficulty, against the wind.

'He would not go outside at night.' He thought to himself. Feeling defeated, the small dark haired elf wandered back up stairs, and did not see the concerned frown on his father's face, as he watched from a darkened corner.

He followed the elfling up the stairs and watched as his youngest son walked into his brother's room, looking lost. Taking a deep breath, he walked through the doors, and glanced at the bed. No sign of either elf in the bed. The wind blew the door to the patio slightly, the elf Lord walked over and saw his youngest son crouched in the corner holding his knees whimpering softly to himself.

"My son?" The father whispered gently, kneeling beside the youth. "What ails you?"

"Ella?" He whimpered. But said no more, still rocking back and forth.

The elf Lord frowned and glanced up and searched the room with his eyes. He saw no sign of his eldest son. Concern growling in the pit of his stomach, he stood and walked over to the bed. He lowered his hand to the sheets, and felt the coldness seeping from them. Wherever his son had wandered off to, it had been some time since he had been in the bed.

Clearing his throat, he quickly exited his son's room and walked to the end of the hall. He knocked firmly on the door at the end, and earned himself a complained groan from within. The door opened after a moment revealing a tall blonde haired elf, looking miserable. An elegant eyebrow rose at the sight of his Lord standing there in his bed robes.

"My Lord?" The Blonde asked confused.

"No time to sleep now. My eldest is wandering the halls somewhere, and I need him found. I must go to my chambers and inform my wife, and have her tend my youngest." Without another word, the Lord turned on his heel and walked towards his own chambers.

The blonde haired elf stood there baffled, but walked back into his own chambers to change out of his sleep wears. After a moment he exited his rooms, and met the elf Lord in the halls with a worried wife, standing there cradling the small elfling in her arms.

Both the elf Lord and blonde turned and walked hurriedly down the halls, leaving the Mother and her child standing there in the dimly lit hallway. The youngest in her arms, whimpered sleepily.

She stroked his hair gently. "Shhh, my son. Your father and Glorfindel will find your brother."

Another muffled whimper echoed her words.

The elfling curled up in his mother's arms shivering from the feeling of being alone.

"Are you cold?" She whispered feeling her son's shivers through her sleeping gown. She let her blue eyes drift down to the form cradled in her arms.

The elfling shook his head, but whispered. "Alone."

The mother felt a shiver course through her at those softly spoken words. Her lips parted in a whispered fear. She walked into her youngest son's room and gently lay him down on the bed. But the small form of her son shot up whimpering. "NO!" He cried out, and jumped from the bed. He ran to the door and ran to his brother's room.

Startled, she followed him into the chambers of her eldest son. She stood in the door and watched as her youngest scrambled into the bed and curled up under the covers, grabbing the pillow and hugging it. Taking a deep breath she walked over sitting on the edge and stroked her son's back as he silently cried.

The darkness faded, and the sun slowly lifted into the sky. But still the mother stroked her son's back, as he lay there sleeping. Silent fear grew in her as the day slowly made its appearance.

Standing from the bedside she walked out onto the balcony, her arms wrapped around her frame fearfully. She let her eyes drift over the gardens and then wander over to the waterfall in the distance. The feeling of coldness filled her heart as she waited her husband's return. She did not know how long she stood there, but she finally walked back into her son's room when the faint whimpers reached her ears.

Only when her son screamed in his sleep did she run to the bedside to wake him. The young elfling sat up in his bed, and called out his brother's name.

She felt her blood run cold in her veins, when the lost and agonizing cry filled the stillness of the room.

"ELLADAN!"