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The view over the valley could always capture Elrond's attention. He could remember the first time he'd seen it, after a long uphill struggle at Gil- Galad's side and had known that this would be the place. His stronghold. His home. He had positioned his study to get that view, a sweeping outlook over the trees, clearings and pastures down to the river. Below him, elves wandered around deep in their daily lives, thinking about their own joys and problems, rarely passing a thought to those who took responsibility for their protection and wellbeing. For that was the life they led, and that is what they were here to do. On that first day Gil-Galad had placed a hand on his arm and had spoken to him for a time. And then, sooner than he had expected, it had been his turn to teach the lesson. To his son; his heir. Although the path into his future was more uncertain than his own had been. ~*~ "Are they here yet?" Elrohir hissed up at his brother who was peeking over the top of the balustrades that surrounded the highest balcony in Imladris. Here they were so close to the waterfall that spray would sometimes hit their faces, and the surrounding air had a cool freshness to it on even the warmest days. "Not yet. . . I don't think so," Elladan dropped back down again, hidden by Elrohir's side. "How can you not think so, they either are or they aren't!" Elrohir admonished. Trust his brother to mess up the simplest task. "Well. . . I can't exactly see the courtyard," Elladan admitted. "What?" Elrohir sprang up and clambered onto the narrow rail, leaning out as far as he could. Elladan had been right, there was no view of the courtyard or their parents who were presently awaiting the arrival of the Lord and Lady of the Wood, "You are stupid Elladan!" "I did not know," Elladan protested hotly. "It was your idea," Elrohir scowled, "We'll get in trouble. . . again!" For a reason that they could not fully explain, both the twins were rather wary about meeting the guests. There had been a previous visit, soon after their birth, but neither twin could remember that time. During the intervening nine years the twins had absorbed many tales and lessons, and truth be told, were a little overawed by their grandparents. It had been Elrohir's idea to observe the visitors from a distance before venturing out to meet them. Elladan had taken the idea somewhat further. As soon as they were dressed after training they had slipped out of their room. He had led them through the halls and corridors of Imladris, sneaking past the guards until they reached the balcony near the waterfall. They were not allowed out alone on this balcony and they knew it. In addition scrambling around on the narrow rails that surrounded the balconies of Imladris had been forbidden from the day that they had learnt to walk. Neither child wanted to imagine what their father would think if he saw the drop over which Elrohir was now rather precariously balanced. "Let me look!" Elladan pulled his brother down and scrambled up himself, determined to be able to gain a glimpse of the courtyard. He tentatively got onto his feet, standing on tiptoes in an attempt to spy over the rooftop. If he could just lean forwards a little bit. . . The splash of spray of his cheeks was enough to send him teetering off balance. "Elladan!" Elrohir screamed, the sudden noise not helping his unlucky brother who was wobbling over a dizzying drop to the plunge pool below. Elladan held his breath, trying to regain his balance. He was going to fall. He knew it. Elrohir would get into so much trouble, but at least he would live. For good though his father's healing powers were he doubted whether they were powerful enough to prevent his family consisting of an Ammė, an Ada, a boy and a pancake. A gust of wind proved to be the final straw. Elladan made a last desperate grasp as he toppled forwards. His fingers brushed dry stone; willing his hold to be strong enough he gripped tightly. It was. Elladan was left dangling from one arm, barely daring to breathe. Elrohir took one look at the situation and screamed as loudly as his lungs would allow, breaking intermittently into frightened sobs. Glorfindel and Erestor had been down in the lower hall after searching the family quarters and the library for the boys. On hearing a faint scream Erestor had glanced out of the narrow window in the stairwell, giving him a full view of the balcony and the small figure dangling from its edge. Neither elf could remember later how they had got up to the balcony so quickly. Elrohir had barely taken his second breath to renew his cries when two elves, one dark and one blond shot through the archway. Elrohir burst into tears, pointing at the spot where Elladan's fingers were clenched against the smooth paving stone. Erestor knelt on the floor, using his longer arm length to reach through the gaps in the railing to grab hold of the boy's wrist. "Hold my wrist Elladan," Erestor ordered. Elladan did his best to do so, looking up with frightened eyes. Glorfindel and Erestor exchanged significant glances; Elladan's face was horribly pale and he looked close to fainting. Glorfindel carefully climbed over the edge, holding onto the rail with one hand as he crouched on the narrow ledge of stone. Reaching over as far as he could safely balance, he was able to touch Elladan's hair. Elladan looked up from where he had been estimating the distance to the ground. "Well, it looks like you're in a bit of a pickle," Glorfindel tried to smile reassuringly. Elladan whimpered something that could be interpreted as yes. "Now, Erestor is going to pull you up as far as he can Elladan," Glorfindel spoke calmly, hoping that all would go as simply as it sounded " And I shall lift you up." Elladan nodded, scrabbling desperately for a grip with his free arm as he was hoisted upwards. Glorfindel's strong arm slipped around his back and under his armpits, lifting him up, and back onto the balcony. Safely behind the banister once more, Glorfindel sank down on the ground, removing Elladan's arms from their stranglehold around his neck. "You are shivering Glorfindel; are you cold?" Elrohir placed a hand on the older elf's arm. Glorfindel shook his head, struggling to regain his nerves. "I feel sick," Elladan scrambled off Glorfindel with surprising speed. Erestor steered him to the edge, keeping a firm grip on the heaving shoulders. He did not intend letting go of the child until they were back on solid earth. Once he had finished, and had been wiped down with Erestor's handkerchief, Elladan had regained much of his colour. "Glorfy," Elladan reverted to their old nickname in an attempt to persuade him, "Please do not tell Ada". Glorfindel and Erestor had taken somewhat longer to recover than Elladan. Eventually Glorfindel felt able to speak rationally to the boy. At least partially rationally. "What were you thinking?" Glorfindel bellowed, grasping each twin by a small shoulder and giving them a little shake, "Do you have no sense? You could have been killed!" Both boys looked at the floor, which had suddenly become incredibly interesting. "Are you stupid Elladan? Do you lack a brain? Or are you merely a foolish, thoughtless infant?" Elladan burned inside at being called an infant, but did not consider this was the best time to point out the error. "I only wanted to see." The muttered excuse sounded feeble. Erestor, somewhat taken aback at seeing the normally placid Elf Lord so angry, retreated slightly. Elrohir slipped a trembling hand into his, shrinking back into the safety of Erestor's body. "You know that it is forbidden for you to play here, do you not?" Glorfindel turned to Elladan, shouting almost in his face. Elladan nodded almost imperceptibly. "And you are surely old enough to have grasped that climbing on the banisters is reckless beyond belief?" Elladan stared at the floor, willing the tears that were pricking at his eyes to disappear. "Yes," he whispered. The scratches and bruises on his wrist were stinging and his shoulder felt as if it had been yanked out of his socket. "You are a stupid boy Elladan. Of course I will inform your father and of course he shall punish you," Glorfindel stalked to the door, "And if I ever see either of you do anything like that again, I promise you that you will not forget it in a hurry!" ~*~ "It was my idea," Elladan said softly, not daring to meet his father's eyes. The waiting had been the worst bit. They had been escorted outside to stand with their parents to meet the arriving guests. If Galadriel and Celeborn had been surprised at the downcast expressions of their two grandsons they did not comment on it, and it wasn't until Elrond and Celebrian had turned to escort their guests to their rooms that Glorfindel stepped forwards, halting Elrond with a hand on his arm. Elrond and Glorfindel had conversed quietly for a while, their faces turned away from the twins so that Elladan had been unable to guess how angry his father had been. Judging by the expression on his face as he had thanked Glorfindel and Erestor and swept towards them, furious. They had been whisked along to his study, stumbling after his long strides. And then his father had taken a seat, observing them with a stony face and raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "That I do not doubt," Elrond said dryly, "Its very stupidity would suggest that." "I . . . I climbed on the railing too Ada," Elrohir said in a quavering voice. "Indeed?" Elrond turned to his youngest. Elrohir was much easier to discipline than his brother, and maybe it would be wise to deal with his punishment first. "I am so sorry Ada!" Elrohir wailed, close to tears. The shock of seeing his brother hanging so precariously still fell heavily on his mind, and would haunt his dreams for weeks to come. "You were foolish, disobedient and dishonest," Elrond said severely, "You have broken your promise." Elrohir broke into sobs. Elladan extended a small hand, squeezing his brothers tightly. "Until you have proven to me that you are mature enough to listen to instruction, neither of you may step foot on any balcony unsupervised," Elrond said after some thought, "In addition the pair of you may spend your playtime before supper for the next week learning Quenya." Elladan scowled viciously. He hated Quenya, and this punishment would impact him far more heavily than Elrohir. "You may go Elrohir," Elrond signalled the boy out of the room. Elladan gave his brother's hand a final squeeze before releasing him. Once the door closed behind him, Elrond turned his eyes on Elladan. It was always Elladan, one reckless idea after another. "Well Elladan, what are we going to do with you?" Elrond asked softly. He had come frighteningly close to losing a child that afternoon, and he was glad he had at least had some time to calm down before facing the child. "I really am sorry Ada," Elladan stepped forwards, touching Elrond's clasped hands with his smaller one. "I believe you child," Elrond looked into the solemn face, "But you are so young Elladan, you do not understand." Elladan looked about to protest when Elrond continued. "What if Glorfindel and Erestor had not been there, Elladan? What then? What if it had been Elrohir who had fallen because of your foolish games?" Elladan gulped. The idea of Elrohir falling was even more terrible than the prospect of falling himself. "They are your actions Elladan, and that makes them your responsibility. You will not be a child much longer," Elrond gazed at his son, seeing if he was taking the message in. He stood up extending a hand, "Come Elladan, walk with me." Elladan followed his father to the large window of the study, overlooking the entire valley of Imladris. "Tell me Elladan, what do you see?" "It is our valley Ada," Elladan said puzzled. "Yes Elladan, and many hundreds of people live here. They look to me for protection, for guidance, for help. That is my responsibility." "Yes Ada," Elladan looked up at his father, his eyebrows raised, clearly confused. Elrond paused, wondering if he should continue. "One day Elladan, this responsibility will pass to you and your brother. People's lives will depend on your actions. I will not have you fail." Elladan stood quietly a moment, taking this in. Then he took his father's hand in his, looking up into his face. "Ada. . . you won't die will you. You wouldn't leave us here?" Elladan's voice quavered as he considered a future free from the security he had previously assumed would always be there. "Oh Elladan," Elrond scooped Elladan into his arms, stroking the long dark hair. He had not intended to scare him, "If I ever leave this valley it will be far from now. You will be grown as tall as me, and you'll have learnt so much you'll be as boring as Glorfindel!" "But you will leave us?" Elladan asked anxiously, not falling for his father's trick to distract him. Elrond sighed, kissing his son's forehead. "No Elladan, if you wish to ride with me, then so you shall." "I will ride Ada! I do not wish to ever leave you!" Elladan declared as his father carried him across the room, "Although. . . the people. . ." Elladan stared out of the window again, biting his lip. "The decision is not yet yours Elladan," Elrond sat him on top of the desk and sat down himself, "But you do understand why you must learn responsibility?" "Oh yes Ada," Elladan said deep in thought. "And so Elladan, you understand why I cannot let you come to the feast tonight." "Yes Ada," Elladan said in a resigned voice, scowling. He had been looking forward to the famed fireworks all week and now he would miss them. "Good," Elrond lifted his son to the floor, "Now run along and do keep out of trouble." Elladan ran to the door, turning as he reached the doorway to observe his father dipping a pen into some ink. "I have already decided Ada," Elladan called softly before running off. ~*~ The room was dark now apart from the moonlight through the high window. There had been happy voices outside of his mother and father getting ready, and Elrohir's shy voice as he had met Celeborn and Galadriel, two voices that Elladan had not recognised. Then the voices had faded, as they went into the living room. The next thing that he had been able to hear clearly was Glorfindel talking to his father when the door to the living room swung open, asking if he was already asleep. He had turned away from the door, closing his eyes tightly. He had little desire to see Glorfindel again today, or indeed ever. He had known Glorfindel all his life, and although there had been many times when Glorfindel had scolded him or become irritated by his behaviour, he had never been really angry. The expression of rage on the blond-haired elf's face as he had shouted at him had frightened Elladan more than the prospect of the drop had done. The door to his room had opened, but only his Ada had come in, kissing his cheek and tucking the blanket in around his shoulders. Thankfully they had then left him, happy voices disappearing down the corridor to the main dining hall. He had waited awhile to get out of bed again, until he was sure everyone was gone. For while he had not been confined to his room, he was not sure that his father would approve of what he had planned. Taking his rather dusty wooden toy sword from the chest of toys in the living room he tiptoed out into the corridor where there was a large mirror by the window. Elladan was so occupied in perfecting his lunges and blocks against his imaginary opponent in the dim moonlight that he never noticed the dark figure watching from the archway. |
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