Disclaimer: Not my little elven pets.
A/N: This is a response to Skyfire’s Caterpillar challenge on Mellon Chronicles. The fic has to include an elf lord with a fuzzy green caterpillar, and the line: “Do I want to know what you are doing with that?” Which may or may not be in relation to said caterpillar.

***

“Look Dan!” Elrohir called excitedly, jumping to the floor beside a leafy bush. “Look at this!”

“What is it?” Elladan called, running after his brother, laden down with trowels and gardening tools.

Elrohir turned to his brother, his hands cupped around something small and green. When his twin reached him, Elrohir slowly opened his hands a small way, and the two small elves peered inside.

“It’s so small!” Elladan said, reaching a finger into his brother’s hand to poke at the wriggling thing. “Does it tickle?”

Elrohir giggled as he felt the fuzzy creature worming along in his hand, which he held splayed out before him, watching as the creature crawled between his fingers, nearly falling from tip of one. Immediately Elladan held out his hand underneath his twin’s to catch it, and the two watched in delight as it crawled from the one to the other.

“Ewww it tickles!” squealed Elladan in delight, poking at the caterpillar, and watching it curl up away from his finger.

“Can we keep it?” Elrohir asked; reaching out for it, and taking it from his brother’s reluctant hand, holding it up to his face, and feeling its legs brush against his skin. “I want to keep it Dan.”

“I do too,” Elladan agreed, “Let’s take it to our garden, and we can see what leaves it likes to eat.”

Elrohir happily agreed to that, and skipped ahead, still holding the insect in his hands. When Elladan arrived a few seconds behind him, Elrohir had already plucked leaves from most of the plants nearby, and had settled this new pet on a nearby stone, surrounding it with a bed of plants to choose from. Kneeling down beside his twin, he shared out the trowels, and the small mats for them to kneel on, and the two settled down to weed their beds, and till the soil in blissful happiness, before planting their seeds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Shall we plant this one?” Elladan asked, waving a packet with elaborate drawings on the front.

“No! I want the red flowers, not those horrible purple ones,” said Elrohir, waving an equally pretty drawing.

Elladan pouted. “They aren’t horrible, Ammë says so!”

“Well Ada prefers the red, I know he does,” growled Elrohir; folding his arms in a perfect imitation of his father when he was angry with them.

“Well the red flowers look like someone’s bled all over the place,” retorted Elladan, glaring back at his twin.

“They do not! Take that back!” Elrohir yelled, clenching his fists.

“Shan’t!” shouted Elladan, throwing down his trowel.

Elrohir threw his down, before turning and shoving at his twin. Walking quickly past, he picked up the packet of seeds, and prepared to tear them up. Elladan swiftly got to his feet, and threw himself at his brother’s legs, knocking them both over. The twins pushed at each other, rolling around on the grass, before glaring at each other and stomping away to opposite ends of the garden.

After several minutes of cold-shouldered silence the two scuffed their feet on the grass, feeling sorry, but still too proud to admit it. Arms folded, they kept glancing back at each other, scowling as they saw the other looking back at them. Eventually their ire cooled, and the two wandered over toward each other, apologies in their eyes. When they reached the middle again they shuffled around again, arms behind their backs, staring at each other from lowered eyelids. Elladan, ever the peacemaker, was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out and lightly touching his twin on the arm. “You were right. Lets plant the red ones”

Elrohir glared, rubbing his shoulder far more vigorously than the gentle tap warranted, staring up at his twin from wounded eyes. When Elladan looked worried enough, he allowed a small smile to appear on his face, and gently touched his fist to his brother’s arm. “Lets plant both, then Ada and Ammë will both like it.”

Elladan grinned at that suggestion, and picked up both packets of seeds; they shared them out between them. Issuing a silent challenge, the two grabbed their trowels and began frantically digging holes, racing to get the best spot. Within minutes their little spat had been forgotten, as they competed with each other over who would be the fastest to bury the bulbs in the soil.

Their play was interrupted when Elrohir let out a horrified squeal.

“NOOOO!!!”

Elladan shot up, and raced over to his brother’s side, looking at him carefully. “What happened, are you all right?”

Elrohir turned a horrified face to him, before looking down in the hole he had just made, and pointing. “I’ve cut it Dan, I’ve hurt it. I didn’t mean to, but it fell in, and I was digging too fast, and it couldn’t get out of the way!” he wailed.

Elladan peered into the hole, gently moving aside his brother’s trowel and hand. He sighed as he saw that a leaf had been blown off the stone, and the caterpillar had been knocked into the hole without Elrohir realising.

“Is it dead? It’s all squished.” Elrohir asked, too afraid to look and see for himself. He had felt the creature being cut in half by his blade, and dreaded what he would see.

Elladan placated him, seeing something moving in the hole. “It’s not dead Ro, look.” He made to pick it up, and squealed, shaking his hand, as part of the caterpillar stuck to it.

“It’s cut in half Dan, I’ve killed it!” Elrohir wailed, sinking to his knees by the little caterpillar, frantically trying to push the two ends together. “It won’t stay together!”

Elladan responded by putting his arm around his twin, staring down at the two pieces of caterpillar lying, bleeding on the leaf.

“Maybe its like worms,” Elladan whispered, his arm around his brother as he wiped at the goo on his hand off on a leaf. “Maybe each part will grow into another caterpillar, and then there’ll be two.”

“You think?” whispered his brother, tears still falling from his face. “And maybe they won’t be mad with me and we can be friends?”

“Maybe they’ll let us have one each, and we can have races,” Elladan whispered back, a smile forming in his voice.

“And when they evolve we can race the butterflies too!” Elrohir grew suddenly excited.

“Yeah! And I bet mine will have the brightest colours,” Elladan grinned.

“Dan,” Elrohir’s voice suddenly warbled, fear lacing through it. “It’s not moving.”

“Of course it is; you’ve just got to give it a reason to.” Elladan poked both segments of the caterpillar with a stick, waiting for them to wriggle away.

“It’s not moving Dan,” Elrohir whispered, trembling. “Worms squirm when they’re cut in two. I killed it!” he wailed.

“Maybe it’s just fainted from the shock. It’s losing a lot of its inner stuff,” Elladan said, wiping his hand on his trousers legs. “We should take it to Ada, and he can fix it.”

Elrohir sniffed, swiping at his face with his sleeve, bent down and slowly pushed each segment onto a leaf, with a stick. Picking up a leaf each, they headed slowly towards the house, careful not to drop their charges.

~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~

“What have you got there?” Celebrian called, walking slowly towards them, mentally frowning at the amount of dirt they had brought in with them. They had obviously been fighting again.

"Ammë, I cut it in half, I didn’t mean to!” Elrohir wailed.

“Let me see,” Celebrian said, worried at the word cut. Kneeling down beside him, she brushed away at the tears on his face, sneaking a look at what he cradled in his hands. “Oh Elrohir.” She pulled his face into her chest.

“It’s bleeding Ammë, and it’s not moving. Ada can fix it can’t he?” Elladan asked, cradling the small leaf safely within his hands, as he stood watching the two.

Celebrian reached out and touched his face gently, a sad smile on her own. “We can but try Elladan; he can but try,” she corrected herself.

“Are we going to have two caterpillars now? One each?” came Elladan’s inquiring voice.

“Two meldir? What do you mean?” she responded, laying her head against Elrohir’s.

“It’s like worms Ammë, we’re going to get two ‘pillars instead of one,” her youngest answered, staring up at her.

“And they will have races, and will be like us,” his twin continued.

“Like you?” Celebrian asked, bemused.

Elladan continued, answering her. “Two halves of the same. That’s what you and Ada always say about us.”

Celebrian smiled sadly at him, and pulled both of them into a hug. “I do not think that caterpillars are the same as worms, ionnath nin.” She brushed Elrohir’s hair out of his eyes, as he raised watering eyes to her, his lower lips trembling. “Maybe Ada will be able to heal him,” she consoled him, not wanting to be the one to break the news to him.

Standing, she put an arm around both her boys, and they walked together towards Elrond’s study, the twins still holding tight to their little bundles.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Several travellers have been slain from neighbouring villages, we need to step up the frequency and number of our patrols,” Glorfindel declared, pointing to several small marks on the map beside him.

“Doing so will only engender fear, these people have come to regard this as a haven, and I would not worry them needlessly.” Elrond was reluctant to admit that the danger was nearer than he would like.

“You would prefer that they continue on blissfully unaware until someone is captured or killed?” Glorfindel responded.

Elrond scowled at Glorfindel. “You know that is not true, I wish only that such danger does not exist at all.”

“There is nothing we can do to prevent that at this time, all we can do is strive against it,” Glorfindel answered sagely. “I will see to the defence of our borders. I give my word it shall not be overt; the children will not notice, and if the adults curtail their children’s antics then so much the better.”

Elrond opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted as two tearful elflings entered the room, escorted by Celebrian. Walking carefully over to his desk, they placed a bundle down upon it, before throwing themselves at him.

“Ada!” came the muffled cries, as his two boys buried their faces in his tunic, sniffing.

“What is wrong ionnath nin?” he asked, flinging both arms around them.

“I hurt it.”

“Make it better Ada.”

“We didn’t mean to!” came the muffled answers, in two identical voices.

“Hush you two,” Elrond soothed, not understanding in the slightest what the two were attempting to tell him. He looked at Glorfindel in bewilderment, but found him equally confused.

“Cel?” Elrond asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow as he clutched at the small bodies trying to climb up his legs and perch in his lap. Glorfindel came to his rescue picking up Elladan, and resting him on his knee.

Celebrian stepped into the room, perching herself in the edge of the desk, waving down Glorfindel as he tried to rise and offer his seat, Elladan still clinging tightly to him with both legs and arms.

“What happened?” Elrond asked again.

“Elrohir had a little accident,” she replied. At this the elfling in question burrowed his head even deeper, leaving his father’s shirt quite damp.

“What happened?” Elrond asked, worriedly glancing over the twins, checking them for injuries. “Are you all right hîn nin? Are you hurt?”

“I hurted it Ada, can you make it better?" Elrohir whispered.

Elrond’s worry stepped up a notch, “You are hurt, where are you hurt?” He held Elrohir away at arms length, frantically running his eye up and down him.

Celebrian placed a calming hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly at him. “He is not injured, neither of them are. They had an accident with a spade and a caterpillar.”

Elrond raised a demanding eyebrow at her, as he hugged his youngest against his chest. “What has happened?”

“I didn’t mean to Ada! I didn’t know it was there, and I cut it with the trowel.” Elrohir hiccupped, swiping furiously at his eyes as he sought to hold in his tears. “I broke it in two Ada, and it was bleeding and all hurted.”

Elrond gently shushed him, rubbing the back of his neck calmly. Rising to his feet, he hefted his elfling onto his hip, and bent over the desk staring at the two halves of what was once a fluffy green caterpillar.

“Can you fix it Ada?” came a tiny voice from the direction of Glorfindel’s shirt. “We tried to stick it together, but it didn’t work.”

“Let me just take a look,” Elrond said, inwardly sighing as he realised that a creature in two pieces could not be mended. Lifting up the leaves, he stared at the limp segments, dripping their ooze onto the papers below. Sighing aloud, he ran his finger along the fur of one, locking eyes with Celebrian.

Celebrian smiled sadly, her dark blue eyes gently apologising for laying this burden upon her husband, but she had not the strength of will to hurt her two elflings like this. Elrond rolled his eyes, accepting her apology with a wry smile, before turning to face his twins. Putting Elrohir in his chair, he knelt down at eye level with the pair, as Elladan leaned forward on Glorfindel’s knee, holding on to the blond elf’s shirt with one hand to prevent himself from falling.

“Can you fix him Ada?” Elladan asked, staring straight into his father’s eyes, looking for the truth. When Elrond didn’t answer he glanced worriedly at his twin, who lowered his head blinking away at tears.

“I am sorry Elrohir,” Elrond said. “There is nothing I can do for him; he is too damaged.”

Elladan looked upset, and desperately struggled for an answer that would make things better. “Will we get two ‘pillars then Ada?”

“Two?” Elrond looked confused, staring at the twins, as Elrohir raised his head, his face beaming with eagerness. “Oh yes Ada! Can we get two ‘pillars? Is it like worms?”

Elrond sighed, and eyed Celebrian who grimaced, showing that she had known about this too. Glorfindel hugged Elladan close to him, as Elrond placed a sorrowful hand to Elrohir’s face. “I am sorry Elrohir, it is not like worms. A caterpillar is designed differently from a worm, and it cannot duplicate itself after a wound this big. I am sorry ionnath nin, it is dead.”

“Can’t you heal it Ada? You can heal anything!” Elrohir wailed, flinching back into the chair, away from his father’s comforting hands.

“Elrohir, some wounds cannot be healed,” Elrond began.

“NO!” Elrohir wailed, throwing himself past his Ada, and into his Ammë’s arms. He buried his face in her robes, and she gently lifted him up, rocking him against her.

“Hush tithen min. Hush. It was an accident.”

“I killed it!” he wailed, clinging tightly to her. “It’s dead because I hurt it.”

Elladan wriggled off Glorfindel’s knee and went over to stand behind his brother, throwing his arms around Elrohir’s waist, and hugging him tightly; he laid his cheek against his twin’s heaving back.

“You didn’t mean to, I know you didn’t,” he whispered soothingly.

Elrohir wailed. “But it’s dead!”

Elladan’s only answer was to squeeze tighter.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After some time Elrohir’s sobs died down, and all that remained of his distress was the occasional hitch of his breath. He lay still, his head resting against his Ammë’s chest, listening to her heart beat, which soothed him. Elladan stared sadly at the remains of their new friend, jumping slightly as Elrond placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Why did it have to die, Ada?” Elladan asked, leaning into his father’s hug from behind. “Things don’t just die for no reason, do they?” His voice grew worried then, at the thought that his twin might suddenly wake up dead one day.

Elrond shuffled uncomfortably behind him; this was an area that he did not consider the twins old enough to think about. Fortunately Glorfindel came to his rescue. Standing up, he stepped over to the desk, and peered at the caterpillar halves in their leaves. Very gently, he rearranged it so that they were lying part on a leaf, and he tugged slightly on it. Elladan caught the movement out of the corner of his eye, and run forward exclaiming excitedly. “Ada! It’s not dead! It’s not dead Ro, it moved!”

Elrond frowned at Glorfindel; unable to see how teasing the twins this way was at all helpful. Celebrian also wore a thunderous look. Hastily Glorfindel explained to the two tiny people before him, looking so endearing. “Why, they are not dead after all, they must only have been sleeping.”

“But Ada said they were dead,” Elladan accused Glorfindel, placing a protective hand on his father’s leg. All three adults smiled at the eldest twin defending his father’s reputation.

“They are very nearly dead Elladan, indeed they are very close,” Glorfindel answered him, “It is understandable that your father could come to such a conclusion.”

“But they live?” Elrohir asked, hope shining again in his watery eyes. “Can Ada make them better now he knows they aren’t dead?” He turned to his father, eyes begging for a positive answer.

Elrond glowered at Glorfindel for building up their hopes in this fashion, but halted himself from voicing his thoughts as he spotted a sly wink from the Gondolin elf.

“Well, I don’t know about your Ada, but I have a special healing power that works on caterpillars. It is one that has been passed down among my family for three generations. I am sure that I can make this one better,” promised Glorfindel.

The twins stared up at him solemnly, “Do you promise?” Glorfindel nodded.

“Are you sure?” Elladan was unconvinced that Glorfindel could heal where Elrond could not.

“I am quite certain elfling,” Glorfindel raised himself to his full height, appearing offended by their doubts. “You doubt me?”

“Of course you can heal him! Can we watch?” Elladan hurried to placate him.

Glorfindel gulped, thinking swiftly. “You cannot watch Elladan, nor you Elrohir.” He hurriedly added, as the younger twin began to look gleeful and the elder started to pout. “For your mother looks ready to send you for a nap.”

The twins groaned, hating their afternoon nap, wanting to be outside playing in the sun. Celebrian was firm, however. “The weather is too hot for elflings to play in, and if you do not rest now you will not be able to stay up later to eat dinner with us.”

As the twins looked ready to object, she continued. “Nor will you be able to come in and check up on the caterpillar later.” That was more than enough for the twins, who rose slowly to their feet, still looking at the green insect lying among the leaves on the desk.

Glorfindel sighed, “Before you leave, how about you help me find a tiny box, fill it with leaves, and put it by the fire for your caterpillar to sleep in.”

“Two boxes, Glor,” corrected Elrohir.

“Two?” he asked, confused.

Elrond laughed, “Two boxes Glor, for there will be two caterpillars. It is like worms remember?” Glorfindel groaned, eyeing the amused elf-lord with a distinct look of annoyance on his face. Celebrian laughed, ushering out the twins, who escaped from her grasp and ran forward to hug Elrond and Glorfindel before wandering over to check on the caterpillars again.

“You will hurry won’t you Glor?” Elladan whispered, so as not to wake them. When the blond elf nodded, the twins left the room if not happily, then lighter of heart.

The instant that they were out of earshot, Elrond swung round on Glorfindel, holding him in place with a piercing gaze. “I hope you know what you are doing.”

Glorfindel looked affronted. “I always know what I am doing, Elrond,” he stated. Elrond just fixed him with a glare that promised dire retribution if he failed.

Turning on his heel, he strode out of the room, muttering, “Two caterpillars Glor, do not forget they expect two!”

Glorfindel scowled.

A/N : This chapter also has an answer to another of SkyFire’s challenges, which has to include the line: “By the Valar! The mud puddle ate Glorfindel.”

And that should give you an idea of where this chapter is going!

***

“Do I want to know what you are doing with that thing?” Elrond called down, frowning from his balcony. “I was under the impression that you were searching for caterpillars.”

Glorfindel looked up, startled; not having anticipated that he was being observed. Smiling sarcastically, he upended the bottle, swallowing the last of the dregs in one gulp.

He waved the empty flagon at the irritating elven lord. “Did it not occur to you that I would need a container for these caterpillars when I find them?

Elrond rolled his eyes. “Did it not occur to you that a jar serves as well as a wine bottle?”

“I had this to hand!” Glorfindel replied; stopping as he realised that didn’t actually improve the situation.

“Perhaps you should curb your imbibing for a few hours, and ‘heal’ those caterpillars?” With that remark Elrond returned inside, to the comfortable shade of his room.

“Would you have me die of dehydration?” Glorfindel muttered, fanning himself with a leaf. “It is hotter than the fires of Mordor out here.”

Sighing, he eyed the empty bottle sadly, before rinsing it out in the fountain. Surveying the grounds he debated on which was the best area in which to find caterpillars.

Racking his memory for a time when he had performed such hunts as a child, he could find surprisingly few such moments. He had never been a one for rolling around in the dirt. Glorfindel sighed, no one area looked more abundant than another, so logically he decided to search in the area where the twins found the original caterpillar.

Kneeling down before a shaded bush, he started lifting up each leaf to check the underside, having the vague thought that caterpillars preferred the shade.

Finishing with that bush he moved onto the next, crawling on hands and knees, diligently searching.

‘Why could they not have found a bright pink caterpillar’ he moaned to himself. ‘Do they not realise how hard it is to distinguish one green from another’

Sighing, he realised that he was in for a long search.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, two traumatised twins tossed and turned in their respective beds; each restlessly reliving the worry, guilt and excitement. The heat was not lending aid to the situation.

Although the windows were wide open, and a light blind pulled down to block out the sunlight, the room was heating up. Celebrian had waited in the room until they had finally dropped off, unwilling to let them talk and torture themselves with discussions of the caterpillars and whether Glorfindel could magically heal them. Stepping over to stand between the beds, she gently turned down the covers, so the boys would not swelter; leaving them with nothing more than a thin sheet. Bending down she kissed first one then the other on the forehead, soothing them with her touch, before slipping silently out.

Stepping into the corridor, she left the door slightly ajar to facilitate the through-flow of air, and to allow her to hear if any restless or worrying sounds emanated from her tiny two. Making her way to her chambers, a few doors down, she spied her husband on the balcony outside and went out to join him.

Perching herself next to him on the bench, she smiled as his arm wrapped around her shoulders, and instinctively leaned into him, resting her head against his. Feeling her relaxing into his embrace, Elrond breathed a kiss into her hair, and returned his gaze to whatever had distracted him before. Comfortably settled, Celebrian turned her head to follow his gaze, and spied a blond elf scrabbling around in the dirt.

“Now that is a sight I never thought to see him partake of willingly!” she grinned. “Has he been rolling around in the mud?”

Glorfindel was truly a sight to behold. His blond hair had come loose from his immaculate braids, and was hanging down in random strands. From the look of the ends it had been dragged through all the mud he could find, and Celebrian was confident that that was a small leaf she detected mingled in with the blond threads.

“It certainly seems to be attracted to him,” Elrond responded. “Strange that on such a dry day he manages to find all the mud puddles. I would have thought for certain that they would have dried up.”

Certainly Glorfindel’s knees and hands were coated in it, and he had apparently been wiping them on his tunic. Elrond mentally made a note to tell the cleaning lady to refuse to wash such a tunic, and return it to the elven lord to rinse himself.

“I do not think that he is enjoying it out there,” Celebrian murmured, rubbing her cheek on Elrond’s shoulder.

“It is rather the wrong sort of weather for a hunt,” he agreed, hugging her tighter for a moment.

A concerned note crept into Celebrian’s voice. “Is he having any luck?”

Elrond sighed. “Judging from the curses that have floated their way up here, I think not.”

“Do you not think we should help him?” she asked. “The twins will not sleep forever, and they shall certainly want to become reacquainted with their new friends the instant they awaken.”

“I am having far too much fun watching Glorfindel struggle. It is not often that I catch him at a loss.” Elrond could not keep the smile from his face as he watched the beleaguered, sweltering elf below him. “Besides, when have you ever know him to fail in a hunt? It is one of his proudest claims that he will always get his prey.”

Celebrian nodded her agreement. “I am sure he is already regretting his newfound healing abilities,” she mused, “but he will find himself amply rewarded when the caterpillars are united with their new friends.”

“Ay,” Elrond agreed, “assuming he lives through the task of healing them.”

“Oh you are cruel meleth nin,” Celebrian scolded, “Have you thought about what will happen if he fails?”

“I sincerely doubt that he will fail. He loves the twins too much to,” Elrond began, before breaking off in a splutter of laughter. He bent over, chortling away.

“What happened?” Celebrian asked; her eyes locked on the elven lord, “What ails you?” From the way her beloved was bent over and shaking, he looked in great pain.

“Nay!” Elrond forced out, hand at his side, other raised palm outwards, fending off the unnecessary concerns of his wife. “I am well. It is only…” He broke off again in laughter.

“Elucidate!” Celebrian demanded, using the tone that only mothers could produce.

Elrond swallowed down his mirth. “By the Valar!” he exclaimed, “The mud puddle ate Glorfindel!” He sank to his knees, leaning his head against the wooden rail, shaking with silent laughter.

Celebrian removed herself from his embrace, and ran over to the railing peering over to check on the elven lord, and hopefully catch a glimpse of him in such a state.

After several minutes of watching she grew worried. “Glor!” She called into the garden, “Glorfindel are you all right?”

“Of course I am not alright,” came a disembodied voice from below. Squinting Celebrian was unable to make out where it came from. “Would you consider yourself well if you were viciously assaulted by a hidden puddle? Not to mention the bushes that have deliberately thrust their branches in my way, nor the numerous insects that have decided my flesh looks tasty and the inside of my tunic looks comfortable? All this while crawling along trying to find two annoying green fuzzy beasts to pacify a friend’s children, while that so-called friend is happily enjoying a cool drink on a blistering hot day, seated in the shade, and laughing at the poor elf who’s only thought is to help!”

“So you survived your unexpected bath then?” Elrond managed to inquire with a straight face.

“Oh indeed, that sea of mud did not consume me entirely, it left enough of me alive for you to make fun of!” came the irate response.

“We are sorry Glorfindel, it was just so unexpected that we could not help but laugh.” Celebrian glared at Elrond, indicating that he should apologise also.

“My apologies Glorfindel, I was taken somewhat by surprise, and reacted inappropriately. Are you injured anywhere?”

“Nothing that a small bath shouldn’t cure.” Glorfindel sighed wryly, stepping forward from the trees to retrieve the bottle.

Elrond was unable to stop the re-emerging laughter from escaping. “Valar Glorfindel! Did you bathe in the stuff? I can smell you from here!”

He was scarcely exaggerating.

Mud covered the elf from head to toe. Even his eyebrows were drenched with the thick sludge. Unless you had already known that it was Glorfindel, it would have been impossible to identify him clearly.

Glorfindel scowled, and mumbled under his breath, something a certain elf lord who should look to himself before blaming others for unpleasant odours.

Celebrian covered a smile behind her hand, and her eyes glistened with glee at Elrond’s face. The colour rose in his cheeks, but before he could release his anger, Glorfindel had retrieved his bottle and stormed off deeper into the grounds, beyond eyesight.

But not earshot.

“Damn Peredhils,” his voice came floating up to them, “Always have you running around for them, and never once a kind word, never a thank you.”

Elrond leant against the railing; head thrown backwards as his anger escaped in great heaving laughs, which shook his body with the effort to keep them in.

Celebrian just folded her arms, shaking her head at him, before ducking underneath his arm, and back into his embrace.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Still muttering, Glorfindel headed directly towards the river, keen to remove the grime. It was now drying on him in the overhead sun, shedding small, dried, flakes as he moved. His nose wrinkled reflexively as the steam rising from him was permeated with the stench of stagnant water and mud. Submerging himself immediately in the river became even more of a priority.

Reaching the water’s edge, he paused only to toss the bottle into a soft clump of grass, before running lightly to a jutting out rock and executing a neat dive into the water; careful to choose a deep section. Skimming lightly into the river he swam briskly, underneath the water surface, hoping that the pace would remove much of the drying dirt. Bobbing up to the surface, he sighed in relief, as the muck seemed to have washed off his hands and skin. Paddling over to the shallows he knelt down with his back to the bank, and submerged his head in the water.

Rubbing vigorously at his hair, he teased out each braid with his fingers, allowing the larger clumps of mud, and peculiarly a leaf, to disperse. Swinging back upright, his hair now shining golden in the sunlight, he peeled off his shirt, shaking it out above the river and beating it with his fist. Dipping it back under the water, he scrubbed it roughly between his hands. He was enjoying this unexpected bath; the water cooled his skin, and helped alleviate the heat of the day. After several minutes of effort, he stopped, breathing hard from the work, water mixed with perspiration trickling down his rising and falling chest.

Lifting his shirt into the light, Glorfindel carefully examined it. Although he had not been able to remove all the stain, he had managed to destroy the most offensive of odours that had tainted it. Looking down at his leggings he decided that they were beyond salvageable. Though the water had dispersed much of the mud, what remained was so ingrained into the weave that there was little else short of unstitching the clothing itself, and washing each thread on its own, that would remove the sludge.

Bracing one leg upon a nearby rock, his hands clawed at the nearby roots of a tree. Muscles rippled beneath the clinging leggings as he pulled himself out of the water, and onto the bank. Laying his shirt down on a sunbathed rock to hopefully dry, he sat down next to it. Glorfindel gently plucked a teasel from the nearby plant, and began running its fronds through his damp tresses, quickly dealing with most of the tangles. Tempted to lie back and enjoy the sun, which did not feel as uncomfortably hot while he was damp, he groaned as two identical faces interrupted his rest, the memory of their tears enough to spur him onwards. Pulling himself stiffly upwards, he donned his shirt, and resumed his hunt for the elusive green fuzzy caterpillars.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Fidgeting in his sleep, Elladan was gradually becoming tangled in his sheet, as it wrapped around his legs mercilessly. Sweat beaded on his forehead, as both the heat and the torments of his mind viciously attacked him. His brother did not fare any better.

Elrohir tossed and turned, limbs twitching as he re-enacted the fight from earlier, his small face screwed up in a frown. Throwing his cover off with his antics, he found himself clutching his pillow tighter, and hot balls of tears welling up in his sleep. Unconsciously rubbing his face deeper into the pillow, he tried to stifle the memories, but jerked as his treacherous mind betrayed him with the image of the towel cutting the caterpillar in two.

Jerking viciously out of the dream, Elrohir found himself sitting on the cool stone floor. Blinking, he rubbed at his eyes, trying to hold back the tears of shock from his sudden fall; he was unable to hide a few sniffs though, before he mastered himself.

“Ro?” came a sleepy voice from the other bed, “I’m sleeping, sh!”

Elrohir sniffed again, wiping his nose on a corner of the bed sheet. Pushing himself stiffly to his feet he grabbed his pillow, holding it tightly to his chest. He staggered slightly over towards his twin’s bed, still hugging it as a shield.

Elladan stiffened at the sound of his brother’s sniff, his mind more alert. Sitting up, his eyes sought out those of his twins.

“Ro? What’s wrong?” He threw back his sheet, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, ready to rise.

Elrohir wiped vigorously at his eyes, unwilling to let his brother see that he’d been crying. “I’m alright. I just slipped.”

Elladan watched him with narrowed eyes, seeing the slight limp, and reddened eyes, which belied his brother’s words. Patting the bed beside him, Elladan indicated to his twin that he should join him up there.

Sliding backwards onto the bed Elrohir, careful of his still tender rear, lowered himself gently onto the mattress. The two sat there in silence, Elladan’s feet swinging the only sign of his impatience. Finally, patience sapped by the earlier tensions, the heat, and no small amount of fatigue, he nudged his little brother.

“Ro?” he asked, leaning into his twin, “are you alright?”

Elrohir looked down at his hands rubbing them together; he wished he wore long sleeves, so he could bury his hands in them. He did not want to see the blood that stained them. “I killed it Dan,” he muttered. “I can still feel its insides mashed, and I can hear the squish.” He broke off, suppressing a shudder.

Elladan eyed him sorrowfully, sharing the pain, yet unable to find any words of comfort. He threw his arm around his brother, hoping that his presence could provide what words were unable to.

Elrohir sniffed again pulling away, and curled up on the bed, his back to his brother. Pulling the pillow closer to him, he buried his head in it.

Elladan sighed, and curled up on the opposite side, resting his head on his own pillow. Wriggling down, he settled with his back touching Elrohir’s, and the two lay like that, drawing comfort from each other.

After several minutes of attempted sleep, Elrohir whispered, still facing the wall. “Do you think Glorfindel can heal him?”

“He said he could didn’t he?” Elladan whispered back.

“Yes, but do you think he meant it?” Elrohir held his breath in anticipation of the answer.

Elladan could not provide it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Glorfindel sat back on his heels with a sigh. Twenty minutes of hunting and he had not been able to discover a single green caterpillar. He had found thirty-two green and black striped, obviously the common variety around here; twelve pure black ones, and two red creatures each with three hideous black eyes, which Glorfindel swore followed every move he made. Fat, ugly creatures they were, with coarse bristles, and they emitted a rather obnoxious odour. Glorfindel had secreted those two away for later use on a certain unsuspecting elf.

Ruefully, he had returned the other caterpillars to where he had found them, and, in his desperation, was even considering getting hold of some dye and staining two caterpillars green. He was in great danger of losing his reputation as an expert hunter and tracker should he fail in this.

Glancing at the sun, he noticed that it was much lower in the sky than the last time he had checked, and much of the heat had passed from the air. It was nearly time for the twins to awaken. Hanging his head, he turned to leave; he had failed.

Out of the corner of his eye he detected a tinge of green, moving against the wind; he carried on walking past it, towards the house.

He stopped.

Double taking he turned around slowly, his eyes roving the bushes hunting down the ever-so-slight variance in hue that had attracted his attention moments before. His attention was again drawn to the underside of a clump of heather, as two green fuzzy creatures ambled their way along in search of food, unaware that they were prey.

Smile broadening across his face, Glorfindel bent down towards them, careful to keep his movements slow, so as not to scare them off.

‘Not,’ he mused to himself, ‘that they could get very far or achieve the speed necessary to evade me’.

Confident in his abilities, he held the leaf steady with one hand, while the other snaked silently towards his prey. As his fingers brushed against the fur, a blur came swooping down, and when it had passed the caterpillars were gone.

“What?” Glorfindel voiced aloud, sitting back on his heels as he pondered the mysteries of vanishing caterpillars. “What just happened?”

Hearing a twittering in the tree above him, he glanced up hoping for answers, and he found them.

“Why you!” He stopped, unable to find the words. Shaking his fist at the pied wagtail, which had decided to feast on his prey, he began to stalk it up the tree.

The bird just sat there on the branch, pushing its meal around with its beak; tail bobbing in laughter.

Pulling himself lightly from branch to branch, barely causing them to sway, Glorfindel silently and swiftly made his way to a point above the thieving creature, where he was in an excellent position to view his enemy.

What he saw caused him to suppress a growl.

The bird, if indeed such a wicked beast called be called something that is beauty and grace, was balancing on one leg, pushing at the struggling caterpillars who were frantically trying to escape its clutches. Bending down, the wagtail opened its beak, preparing to shovel its meal into its mouth, but was startled as a blond blur swooped down from above, prepared to do battle with the feathered one.

Unfortunately, in his rage, Glorfindel had failed to notice the moss growing on the branch, which was on the north side, and rarely saw sunlight. Anticipating landing with his usual grace, he did not expect for his foot to slide out from beneath him, causing his gravity to be positioned somewhere over the edge of the branch.

He fell.

Landing on the ground with an empathic whump, Glorfindel lay there stunned. The ground was dry and hard from the abundant sunshine, and though he had not injured himself more than a few bruises he had certainly winded himself.

While lying there stunned, he opened his eyes staring up in wonder at the sky above him. There was a twittering inside his head, which sounded just like the laughter of that damned bird, while a few of the feathered ones circled around him. Shaking his head, his brain began to clear, and he realised that it was indeed the same bird, fortunately only one of it.

His stunned muscles quickly realigned themselves into a frown, and then swiftly into a glare, as he watched the antics of the bird above him, still lying where he was. Indeed he did not think that he could convince his body to move itself for several minutes at least.

The black and white bird above him was bobbing its head as it watched him from above, seated on the branch. Twittering away, it bent down and swiftly consumed one of the caterpillars in one gulp. Raising the energy to shake his fist, Glorfindel pushed himself upright, leaning on one elbow, his eyes never leaving the bird.

Eyeing the elf with a poise that showed a complete lack of trepidation that Glorfindel found insulting, the wagtail decided to take flight. Glorfindel began to rise to follow it.

In a perfect execution of style and grace, the bird flipped its head into the air, releasing the second caterpillar, and swooping after it. Diving forwards, it caught the crawling thing in its mouth, and swallowed it.

Landing on the same branch it took off from, he began to preen his feathers, stomach full, and obviously proud of its display. Glorfindel’s hands clenched in imitation of wringing its scrawny little neck, while the beast that had defied him, and consumed his prey, stared back down; infernal tail still wagging.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Glorfindel trudged back to the Last Homely House, worrying if this would be the last time he found himself welcomed there; his feet began to drag as he neared. Frantically shoring up his courage, Glorfindel stiffened his shoulders, and raised his head, only to end up gazing directly at the twin’s bedroom window.

His breathed hissed as he released it after a long pent-up period of silence. He stared up hoping that they were sleeping peacefully, untroubled by the caterpillar incident, and that they had forgotten such things had even happened.

He doubted it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The twins lay there in silence, backs still touching, feigning sleep until Celebrian came in to dress the pair ready for dinner.

“Did it work?” Elrohir asked, rubbing his eyes. He was quickly put into a tunic, and his hair brushed.

“Are they better?” Elladan echoed, suffering the same treatment.

Celebrian smiled knowingly at them, and took them by the hand. “Let us go and see.”

As Celebrian left to wake the boys up Elrond entered his study to check that all was well with the caterpillar situation. He suppressed a grin as he saw a wearied figure kneel slowly down before the boxes.

“Well?” Elrond demanded as he watched Glorfindel bend over the table by the fire. “Were you successful? Or shall I have to disappoint my two terrors?”

Before Glorfindel had even had a chance to stand, let alone face him and answer, Elrond continued on.

“I sincerely hope the next words that leave your lips are a variation of ‘yes My Lord’,” he spoke; a smile betraying the sternness of his voice. “I do not think that they will easily get over their beloved Glor failing them.”

Elrond stepped closer, arms folded prepared to push this as far as he possibly could. He well knew that those boxes were filled with green caterpillars, for he had placed them there himself. Glorfindel however did not know this, and judging from the look of him, he had not been able to locate any. It was a hard struggle for Elrond to keep his face straight, as he perceived the defeated slump in shoulders that were raggedly clothed at best.

“Do not tell me that the mighty Glorfindel has failed on a hunt? Why the blackmail possibilities from that alone are fascinating. Not to mention what it will cost to keep the Muddied Balrog Slayer story from escaping.” Elrond smiled evilly as he reflected on the possibilities.

Glorfindel lowered his head still further, then braced his shoulders and turned around, sorrow and defeat in his eyes. “Hîr nin, I,” he began, but was interrupted by Elrond; no longer a jesting elf, but a concerned one.

“Valar! What happened to you?” he asked. “You look as though…well,” he paused, trying to find a suitable adjective, and failing. “I cannot even imagine what has left you in such a state.”

Glorfindel scowled.

“Did you fall into a river?” Elrond asked, puzzled. “Get dragged through a bush? Fall through a tree? What happened?”

Glorfindel stared back his face revealing nothing. A muscle in his cheek twitched at the last statement however, despite his efforts to hide it.

Elrond stared back, frowning, and abruptly his features widened into a broad grin, and then laughter. “You fell out of a tree?”

Glorfindel turned away embarrassed.

Elrond’s laughter grew. “ And the river?” he continued, having just noticed the damp patch that had begun collecting on the floor at Glorfindel’s feet.

A rosy hue began to grace the blond’s cheeks.

Elrond laughed louder, collapsing into a chair opposite the blond. He pressed his hand to his side, valiantly trying to stifle the nearly painful laughter which shook him. He was less than successful. After several minutes of trying, he glanced at the bowed head of the elf before him and finally managed to master himself.

Glorfindel’s ire had grown at his friend’s laughter, and he was quick to correct him, “I did not fall into the river; that was by choice. I had to remove the mud somehow.”

“And you were not entirely successful, I can tell, “ Elrond rebuffed.

Glorfindel looked mildly ashamed, as he lowered himself into a nearby chair paying scant regard to the dampness of his clothing upon the material.

Elrond frowned, mirth fading, as he watched the warrior wince at the motion, and he leaned forwards, looking past the torn and tattered clothing, searching for broken skin.

Moving forwards he knelt in front of the disarrayed elf, however before he could convince Glorfindel to allow him to examine him, they were interrupted.

The door crept open, and two very subdued elflings stuttered their way inside, forcibly moved forwards by a well-timed push from their mother. Hand in hand they faltered forwards sneaking glances at Elrond, trying to judge from his mood whether the caterpillars lived. As yet too far away to detect any movement, they still peered at the boxes, a little afraid to go nearer without knowing for certain. Seeing that their Adar looked neither concerned nor pleased, they turned to Glorfindel for the truth, and gasped.

At the sight of Glorfindel their eyes bulged and they ran forwards, halting behind their father, heads level with his shoulders.

“Are you aright Glor?” Elladan asked.

“What happened to you?” Elrohir echoed.

The twins turned wide eyes upon him, after solemnly staring at each other in horror.

“Did the caterpillars hurt you?” they asked in unison.

Elrohir shuddered. “I’m glad you wouldn’t let us stay and help Glor, if they could do this to you then we would have been really hurt!”

Glorfindel opened his mouth to respond to both their concern, and to inform them of his failure to heal their caterpillars, but before he could answer the two had run over to the boxes, unable to contain their fear any longer.

“Did it work Glor?”, “Did you heal them?” came two cries from across the room.

Elrond smiled at the back of their heads, enjoying their enthusiasm; his grin widened as he heard Glorfindel sigh behind him. Smothering it, he turned back to the blond elf and smiled.

Glorfindel stared at the lord of Imladris in confusion, perplexed by his lack of anger. Elrond’s smile grew and he leant back in his chair, a smug look upon his face. Folding his arms behind his head he stretched his legs out before him, crossing them at the ankles. Glorfindel’s puzzled frown deepened, and he began to glare as he realised what this likely meant; Elrond had been stringing him along this whole time, while knowing that there were two caterpillars safely in their beds.

The staring match was interrupted by a small wail from Elrohir. “Oh, there’s nothing here. It died?”

Elrond shot to his feet immediately, his brow creased; Celebrian joined him, silently questioning him. He shrugged in response. Elladan meanwhile had thrown an arm around his brother’s shoulder and pulled him close, while glaring at the blond elf. “You said you could heal them!” he yelled. “Why did you lie to us?”

Glorfindel knelt down before them, holding an appeasing hand out, a look of unutterable sorrow in his face. “Elladan,” he began, “I,”

Elladan knocked his hand away, and just stared at the warrior, feeling betrayed. His other arm was still wrapped protectively around his brother who was sobbing into his shirt.

Glorfindel looked back, a tear rising in his eyes. He closed them as Elladan turned sharply away from away from him, raising a solid back to him. Massaging the bridge of his nose he tried to come up with anything that could make this situation better. His shoulders tensed and then relaxed as Elrond laid a cool hand across the base of his neck, and he opened his eyes to see Celebrian wrap an arm around her younglings, while staring in confusion at the empty box.

“Hush hîn nin,” she begged, “are you sure you looked properly?”

“Oh course we did,” Elrohir sniffed, rubbing his eyes into her gown, “It’s not there!”

Celebrian frowned, checking into the box herself to make sure. “You are correct, there is nothing in it,” she said after rifling through the leaves contained in it. “Are you sure…?” she stopped herself hurriedly from giving too much away.

“I am certain,” Elrond responded, moving away from Glorfindel after a final comforting squeeze. Glorfindel’s pain did not noticeably ease.

“Did the other one die too Ada?” Elladan asked, turning away from his twin now that Ammë was here to look after him. He moved to stand over the other box, and poked half-heartedly at the leaves. “I hope one lived at least.”

He stirred the leaves around, lifting up one and then the other, looking for a sign of the caterpillar. Elrond found himself watching with bated breath, standing looking over his eldest’s shoulder. Elladan let out a cry, and Elrond grabbed him into a warm hug, head bowed over him. “I am sorry ion nin,” he murmured, still unable to comprehend how the caterpillars had escaped. Holding the elfling in tightly, he grunted as Elladan’s squirm came a little too near a sensitive area, and released him.

“Elladan,” he started, reaching out after him. “I,” he broke off as Elladan yelled to his twin.

“Ro! Ro!”

Elrohir turned a tearstained face up to his twins, and blinked. Noting the wide smile that crossed it, he pushed away from Celebrian, stepping towards his twin.

Elladan grabbed his brother’s hand, “Come and see!”

“See what?” Elrohir whispered, his voice hoarse from tears. He was dragged along slowly behind his twin, not keen on leaving his mother’s embrace. Turning back to look at her, he saw her following behind, giving him an encouraging smile. Whatever had distracted Elladan, she hoped it would also raise Elrohir’s spirits.

“What is it Dan?" he asked.

“Look!” Elladan pointed into the second box.

“I don’t want to!” Elrohir tried to turn away.

“LOOK!” Elladan pleaded, lifting up a leaf.

Elrohir gasped, and a huge smile lit up his face.

“What is it ion nin?” Elrond asked.

“Its alive Ada! They’re alive,” was Elrohir’s answer.

“They?” Elrond puzzled

Elladan answered this time. “There are two ‘pillars in here! They must have got lonely.” He poked his finger in the box, smiling as the two insects curled up around it. “Look Ro, they’re just like us, they sleep together.”

Elrohir smiled, touching them himself to make certain they were really there. “Maybe they were scared and hurt, and wanted to comfort each other?”

The twins stared at each other sharing the same, unspoken thought, ‘Like us!’

Each took a caterpillar gently in their hands, accompanied by a bounty of leaves, and turned to leave. They were stopped by their father’s voice, “Elladan, Elrohir, have you not forgotten something?”

The two turned around, after flashing a puzzled look at each other. Spying the boxes on the table, they each put a caterpillar back inside one, and picked them up. “Sorry Ada,” they muttered, leaving.

Elrond sighed in exasperation, but allowed the two to go off with their new pets, knowing that they would remember to thank Glorfindel soon.

Speaking of which…

Elrond turned to the blond elf, where he had last left him, wondering about his peculiar silence. He saw the elf, not where he expected him to be but leaning on the balcony outside, head bowed. Elrond sighed, and was pushed forwards by Celebrian who had crept up behind him.

“Go and talk to him; I will get the boys dressed for dinner,” she whispered before leaving the room in the wake of the twins.

Elrond stepped out onto the balcony.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Glor?” he asked, leaning on the railing beside the subdued elf. “What is wrong mellon nin?”

Glorfindel stared down at his hands, eying the dirt that was encrusted on them. Closing his eyes he kept his head lowered, unable to raise it and see the disgust in his friend’s eyes.

“Glor?” Elrond asked, worriedly nudging the elder elf’s shoulder with his own. “Are you well?” He scanned the elf again, but could detect no serious wounds, nothing to explain away this uncharacteristic silence.

“Glorfindel?” he asked again, nudging him more forcefully. “What troubles you mellon nin?”

“I failed them Elrond,” he spoke, his voice scarce louder than a whisper. “I failed them and they have lost all trust in me. I have failed you.” He raised his head then, and Elrond almost gasped at the loss in the normally brilliant orbs staring at him. Suddenly his guilt began to rise; he had knowingly kept up the charade, thus causing much of this injury. He hurried to rectify it.

“You do realise that they have two live caterpillars?” he said.

Glorfindel’s head shot up at this, “What?”

If the other elf’s emotions had not been so deeply involved then Elrond would have collapsed from laughter at the shock on the blond’s face. For once he had managed to render him speechless.

“There were two caterpillars in the other box, the silly fools only checked in the one and assumed that it meant they had both died,” he chuckled.

“But,” Glorfindel swallowed his shock, eyes narrowing as he realised just where those caterpillars had come from. “You!” he spluttered, “You knew all along.”

Elrond swallowed, trying to keep the mirth hidden, but it was too difficult a task when faced with an irate and exhausted elf lord. He ducked his head to try and hide his smile; let no one say that he had no spirit of self-preservation. Glorfindel however was wise to this.

“You knew that there were caterpillars in there, and yet you let me think I’d failed?” he half-shouted. He paused. “Worse!” A full shout this time.

Elrond turned to leave at this point, but was held back by a firm hand grasping his right shoulder.

“You let me waste an entire afternoon searching for them? Knowing that I was having troubles?” Glorfindel’s voice nearly shook with rage.

Elrond’s shoulders shook in laughter, and this only added to Glorfindel’s ire. “You watched me dirty myself, fall in the mud, laughing at me the whole time,” he raged on.

“Peace Glorfindel, I had not found the caterpillars then.” Elrond sounded offended that Glorfindel thought he had enjoyed watching the other elf toil; in truth he had, but he would never admit that to him.

“Now I know why you were so smug back there,” Glorfindel muttered beneath his breath about nasty elves, and their evil habit of withholding information. “Just how did you find two anyway? They must be the rarest caterpillars to exist this side of the Bruinen!” he asked.

Elrond swallowed another smirk, which rapidly died when he found Glorfindel’s face suddenly thrust in his. He swallowed again, this time for another reason.

“I,” he began, halting temporarily before rushing on at Glorfindel’s expression. He was cautiously backing away back into the house; the warrior was following him unconsciously.

“Well, you remember when Celebrian and I were watching you in the garden?” He backed away slightly quicker when he realised that drawing attention to his mirth at the expense of the blond’s dignity was foolish in the extreme.

“Do continue,” Glorfindel insisted, in a sarcastic voice.

“Well, ummm,” Elrond stuttered, “I was talking to Celebrian…”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Do you think we should help him?” Celebrian asked once her laughter had settled down.

“Nonsense my dear, he is having fun. It is not often he gets an afternoon off from his duties,” Elrond replied.

“I do not think he enjoyed being half drowned in mud,” Celebrian winced as she watched Glorfindel stalking off into the brush.

Elrond cringed in sympathy, but remained where he was.

“You do not worry that if he fails then the boys will be disappointed?” she tried again.

Elrond smiled a peculiar smile, “I have a feeling that the outcome of this situation will not be a cause for alarm.”

“You think that he will find them? You have some foresight of this matter?” she asked hopefully.

“No,” Elrond answered, certain.

“No? Then why are we not out scouring the grounds helping him search?” she said, exasperated.

Elrond stared out at the valley, watching the figure retreat into the bushes, out of sight. Turning to face Celebrian, he brushed at her cheek with one hand, reaching behind her to lean against the wall with his other.

She turned her face away, frowning after Glorfindel, hoping to see him returning in short order, two squirming caterpillars in his possession. A cool hand turned her back to face him, and she frowned at him.

“I do not think this is the time or place for that Elrond,” she scolded; and was silenced as he thrust a piece of fruit between her lips.

Left with no choice, she bit down on it, hoping to catch his fingers on the way. “Elrond! I do not think we should play while our sons will be hurt.”

“Meleth nin, you should trust me more,” he smiled.

“Really?” was the very sceptical reply.

“Yes.” Elrond removed his hand from where it had been resting in the wisteria, “You know I would not play if there was trouble approaching.”

“But…” she smiled as she saw what decorated his hand.

“Yes, meleth nin,” he responded, his smile widening.

“How did you…where did you?” she asked, nearly speechless.

Elrond smiled and indicated the bush behind her head; “They were ambling along right behind you the entire time.”

“And you let me go on like that?” she affected displeasure, when truly she was overjoyed not to have to tell the boys that the caterpillars had died.

“I have just this moment noticed them,” Elrond objected.

Celebrian leant forwards and kissed him. “Now go and tuck them safely up in bed before we lose some more.”

Doing just that, Elrond returned outside and clasped his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest and planting a kiss on the top of her head. She turned in his grasp, smiling up at him, before taking him by the hand and leading him to a seat in the sun. Relaxing on the bench, the two supped from the chilled jug that rested in the shade, and nibbled on the light dish of fruit, staring out at the beautiful sunny day.

“So when are you going to inform Glorfindel, meleth nin?” Celebrian asked, knowing full well what was going through her husband’s mind.

An evil grin rose to his face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elrond was knocked out of the flashback as the remnants of the jug of lemonade hit him in the face. He glared at Glorfindel, who was scowling back.

“All afternoon? You let me toil all afternoon in that heat for no reason?” Glorfindel cried.

Elrond had no answer; he was too busy straining not to laugh.

“Why you…” Glorfindel was again rendered speechless, this time with rage.

Elrond found himself hit with a cushion from the sofa in his study, and from the looks of the advancing blond, more missiles were headed in his direction.

Forgetting his stiffening body, Glorfindel gave chase to the fleeing elven lord who ran chortling down the corridor.

“When I get my hands upon you, you will regret it,” Glorfindel yelled after him, hearing the elven lord stumble and slow as he rounded the corner.

“Ada?” came a small voice.

“Why are you running?” came an identical echo.

“No reason,” was the slightly breathless reply. “You two go on in to dinner and I shall join you shortly.”

“Glorfindel!” they cried as they spied him strolling up nonchalantly.

“Boys,” he nodded to them, an evil gleam in his eyes when he stared at Elrond.

“Thank you Glor!” they cried, running over to hug him. He looked a little guilty about accepting their praise when he had actually done nothing, but Celebrian leaned over and patted his upper arm.

“You deserve it after all your efforts Glorfindel, thank you.” She smiled at him, before ushering the boys into the dining room.

“Yes, thank you Glorfindel, it is very heartening to see how far you are prepared to go for my children,” Elrond echoed.

Glorfindel blushed faintly before the gleam returned to his eyes. “Do not think you will get away that easily, hîr nin. I will have revenge upon you for your actions.” That said he stormed off to his rooms to change for dinner, fingering two nasty caterpillars.

Elrond smiled uneasily.

***

THE END!

(Although I predict a one-shot sequel coming along soon…If I get enough requests)