In answer to Bill’s ‘Elementary of rat-catching challenge’ at the MC-Challenge yahoo group!

Disclaimer - Only the rat is mine!

Thanks to my Mum for beta-ing this one! You’re the best!

The Hunter

Twas the night before midwinter and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a - well it was a rat actually and it was stirring quite a bit. It wasn’t the only one either.

A lone figure crept stealthily through the darkened hallways, hunting its prey. Eyes narrowed as the hunter caught sight of a small crumb. “Ah ha!” He whispered. Further along the corridor there were a couple more crumbs. A movement caught his eye and he saw a small grey form scurry across the floor. “Got you!” He cried and gave chase. There was a rather audible ‘squeak’ from the rat as it dashed off, trying to escape its pursuer.

His feet pounded down the halls, always a little too far away from the rat. He let out a growl as the furry rodent scrambled up a tree in an attempt to escape. “You’re not getting away that easily!” He cried and leapt into the branches. He shook the tree violently, until he saw the animal drop out. He jumped out of the tree and raced after the rodent, determined not to lose it. Oh no, not this time.

The rat raced across the courtyard that was cruelly absent of even the smallest hiding place and scooted back into the halls. A growl came from the hunter as he rounded the corner at incredible speed, almost crashing into a statue of Elbereth that graced the hallway. Uttering a very un-lord-like curse at the statue he pressed on. He could only see the tip of the tail of his quarry now.

“When I catch you I’m going to roast you alive!” He seethed. “Then I’m going to skin you and use your hide to clean my sword!” To his utter chagrin this was met with a resoundingly defiant ‘squeak’ from his prey.

“Why you little…” He growled and resumed his hunt with even greater vigour. No thieving rat was going to get the best of him! He had a reputation to maintain, damnit!

The rat shot up the stairs to the first level, where the private quarters were located. He followed, using his long strides to gain an advantage. A few times he almost, almost caught the ever-elusive creature. “You can’t evade me forever!” He swore as he almost lost sight of his quarry around a corner.

Barely maintaining his balance he flung himself after the animal, using his long legs to gain ground. However, the rat was still managing to elude him.

Finally, they came to a long, straight hallway. He grinned, now he was sure to catch it. He just needed to gain a little more ground! A circular holder in a small alcove caught his eye. Within it were two slightly damp fishing nets, left there to dry out after an earlier excursion. Swiftly he grabbed one and began to try to catch the rodent in the net.

He let out a cry of frustration as the rat slipped under a tiny gap through the door at the end of the hallway. He leapt, lunging for the animal with his bare hands. However, the rat was just too fast and he ended up crashing through the door and into the room. His momentum carried him under a large bed, towards a wall. He twisted and, by sheer chance, caught his elusive prey in the fishing net. However, the move wasn’t enough to get him out of the way of the wall and there was a resounding crash as he and his prey collided with the wall! He groaned at the force of the impact, but when he saw the limp furry form in the net he grabbed it and let out a cry of triumph.

“Take that you thieving rodent!” He cried, waving the still form in the air like a trophy.

“Glorfy?” Came a confused voice from the bed slightly above him. “What are you doing?” Glorfindel looked up to see two sleepy pairs of grey eyes looking at him.

“Hello Elladan, hello Elrohir” he said with a slightly sheepish grin at the eight year old elflings. “I was just…” But at that moment, Elrohir caught sight of the limp form in Glorfindel’s hand.

“Murderer! You killed it!” He cried and promptly burst into tears. The balrog-slayer was horrified.

“Oh Elrohir, please don’t cry!” He begged the youngest twin. “It’s just a rat!” This only caused Elrohir to cry harder. Elladan on the other hand was far less disturbed. “Can I mount it on my wall?!” He asked with a great deal of enthusiasm.

“No!” Cried Glorfindel. “It’s full of germs! It’s going to the incinerator!” At that, Elrohir began crying even louder and Glorfindel began to panic. Elrond would have his head! “Elladan, Elrohir, listen to me!” he said in an attempt to get some control over the situation. “Rats look cute, but they carry lots of nasty germs that can make little elflings get sick! They creep into the kitchens and steal our food, they go to the toilet and don’t clean up and they smell really horrible! We have to get rid of them!” He looked hopefully at the twins, praying they’d understood.

“But you didn’t have to kill himmmmmmmmmm!” Elrohir wailed loudly.

“Elrohir, there was no other way!” Glorfindel said desperately. You wouldn’t have wanted him eating your breakfast would you?! It was for the best really!” He tried to hug the little twin, but Elrohir cried and pulled away.

“No! Go away! You’re a murderer!” He sobbed.

“Elrohir, it was going to…” He started, but was suddenly cut off.

“What in the Illuvatar’s name is going on?!” Elrond glared at Glorfindel. Behind him, Celebrian was also giving him a filthy look. Glorfindel blushed deeply as Celebrian moved to hug the still-crying Elrohir.

“Well?” Elrond demanded. The Balrog-slayer coughed nervously.

“Ah, well, you see, this rat here had been pillaging the larder for weeks and I saw it when I went to get a snack and gave chase, which led me here where I killed it and Elrohir got rather upset….” He trailed off, feeling rather like an elfling who had been caught playing a prank. This feeling was further enforced by Elrond’s icy glare.

“They are vermin, mellon nin.” He said weakly. Elrond leaned in close.

“I know that!” He hissed. “But you do not go killing them in front of my sons! They are too young for such things!” Glorfindel bowed his head.

“I am sorry my Lord. It will not happen again.”

“See that it doesn’t.” Elrond scowled. “Or I shall re-name you the great rat-slayer!” He might have said more, but he was distracted by Elladan, who was prodding the dead rat. “Elladan stop that!”

"But Ada, look!" Elladan protested. "Look at what it does!" Elrond sighed and leaned over as his eldest prodded the rat again. To his utter surprise, the rodent flicked it's tail and it's chest moved. Elrond gasped and touched it.

"It's still alive!" He cried in shock. How the small creature had survived being bashed against the wall was beyond him! At these words Elrohir immediately stopped crying and scooted over to the rat. Despite his father's protests, he picked the furry creature up and cuddled it. A few minutes later it regained consciousness and looked warily at the elfling whose hand it was in.

"Squeak?" Elrohir beamed.

"Hello!" He replied cheerfully. He turned to Elrond. "Oh Ada, can't we keep him? He's so cute!" Elrond looked dismayed. A pet rat! What a dreadful thought! He was about to tell Elrohir that he really didn't think that was a good idea, when Elladan cried out.

"Ada look over there!" All those in the room turned to where Elladan was pointing. By the door was another rat, about the same size as the one Elrohir held. Behind it were three much smaller rats. All were looking at the furry form that Elrohir held.

"Why, no wonder it stole so much food!" Celebrian cried. "It was just trying to feed it's family! Oh Elrond, we can't throw them out!" Elrond cast a desperate look at Glorfindel as his family ganged up on him, but the Balrog-slayer was quite sick of the whole situation! Elrond could get himself out of this one!

Elrond looked at his wife, then at his sons. Then he looked at the little rat family. Each one, from his wife to the smallest rat, was giving him pleading puppy-dog eyes. It was hopeless! "Very well." He sighed. "They can stay." Elrohir let out a shriek of joy and hugged the rat to his chest. Elladan grinned as the mother rat and babies climbed up the sheets onto the bed. "You have to care for them properly." Elrond lectured his sons. "Keep them clean and fed and happy." The twins responded with enthusiastic nods. "Are you going to name him?" Elrond asked Elrohir. The younger twin nodded.

"Oh yes!" He grinned. "I already have! His name is Bill!"

All in all, Glorfindel thought as he left the room, he much preferred balrogs.

        THE END

Sorry it’s so short! I tried to make it longer, but it wasn’t happening! Hope you like it!

Tux