Two pairs of beady grey eyes watched their mother fall off the marble windowsill down, down, down, into the churning midnight ocean.

Another elf burst through the door seconds later. He seemed younger than the redhead, somewhat shorter and brown-haired. Through the gap in the chest lid, the twins noticed that these elves wore matching armor. The strange warriors snarled at each other in a language the boys could not understand.

"Neylo! What happened? Where is she? Where is the Silmaril?" demanded the newcomer.

"At the bottom of the bay," the one called Neylo managed.

"What?! How?"

"I asked her to give it to me; I asked her to end it all! She did, but by ending herself," the massive soldier nodded sadly to the still swinging windowpanes.

"Eru. . ." the newcomer gawked. He composed himself seconds later. "We failed, brother." He spat on the stone floor.

"Kano, round up the Ambarussa; tell them we move immediately," Neylo hissed.

Unflinching, Kano faced his brother and droned, "Yes brother."

Kano turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something he would never forget.

From the waves below, a spear of blinding light sliced through the stormy water. A shining seagull, large and beautiful, streaked away from the palace. On its breast hung the Silmaril.

"NO!" Neylo shrieked and vainly put his hand out the window to grasp at something-anything! He whirled on his brother in a rage. "We FAILED!!" he shrieked again, on the verge of losing his mind with fury.

Kano stood tensely fixed to his spot as his older brother took his tiredness and rage out on the room. Blankets tore, toys shattered, unused torches snapped and their holders rattled. In one mighty slam, Neylo whacked the wooden chest with a kick.

Tiny muffled squeals came from within.

Neylo kicked again, oblivious to the strange noise.

This time, it was muffled shrieking.

"Brother, stop!" Kano leapt to grab Neylo's left arm and force him off balance. "Listen!" he hissed. Kano rapped the top of the chest.

The boys shuddered and whimpered inside.

Thoroughly intrigued, Kano threw back the lid.

"EEK!" Elrond and Elros desperately flattened their bodies against the back of the chest as if that would make them invisible.

Smirking cruelly, Neylo yanked both boys by the shirt collar with his one hand. "Elwing's half-breed runts. I thought we'd have ended them by now." He tightened his grip despite their frightened squirming.

"Brother, put them down!" Kano warned.

Neylo let them fall to the floor with a thud. "Interesting little rats," he scuffed at them with the tip of his boot.

"Neylo! You're scaring them!" his younger brother planted himself in front of the petrified boys.

"I could end their nightmare." Neylo's war-weary voice held a dangerous undertone. He fingered his golden hilt. "They're useless."

Elros cocked his head, suddenly curious about the rising blade. Elrond hugged his brother for dear life.

Before his brother could think, Neylo raised his sabre and bared down.

"THEY'RE CHILDREN!" Kano roared, bowling into his brother.

Elrond and Elros crawled away from their execution spots as fast as possible. They plopped down by the wall, heaving.

"I could have KILLED YOU!" the redhead bellowed, throwing off his younger brother.

"You could have killed them! They're boys, Neylo! Children! You want to male us more monsters than we already are!?" Kano shot back, blue eyes gleaming like steel.

"They're useless runts," Neylo said calmly as he rolled to his feet and brushed himself off.

Kano didn't seem to hear his brother's acidic monotone. He scrambled to the twins on all fours. "Are you alright?" he panted.

The twins blinked at him confused.

"Right, you don't speak Quenya!" Kano realized with a snap of his fingers. He softened his voice and switched to Sindarin. "Are you alright?" he repeated.

Elros nodded his soggy raven head very slowly.

"My name is Maglor," he cooed. "Yours?"

Elrond hissed into his brother's ear, "Don't do it, Ros! Nana said not to talk with strangers!"

Kano-now Maglor-chuckled at the brown-haired boy's common sense. He looked directly into Elrond's eyes and continued, "The red troll over there is Maedhros."

Maedhros crossed his arms. "Hmph!"

"Where's Nana?" Elros blurted out.

Maglor froze. "She told us-to take care of you."

Maedhros gagged. "I was trying to do that with my sword," he snarled in the High Tongue.

His brother ignored him. "Come with me," he gently scooped them up into his arms.

"Wait for Nana!" Elrond pleaded, staring longingly at the window.

Oh, Eru, they saw her fall!  Maglor's gut and heart twisted simultaneously.

"She will meet us later, little one," Maglor pressed both little heads into his breast so they would avoid seeing the carpet of bodies he was working his way over.

A gruff voice called from behind, "They'll waste supplies, dimwit."

"They'll make good hostages," Maglor snarled back.

Deep within his heart, Maglor thought, My hostages and much, much more.

Finally! I have wanted to write a satisfactory intro to the Sons and the Twins. I think this is finally it! Please comment your opinions (keeping it clean, of course!) I promise I'll tackle the fate of the Carrot Twins very soon.