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All members of the Imladris Guard and scouting teams owned a thick grey hooded cloak. The dark wool was woven tightly into a thick felt-like texture and this protected its wearers from the wind and rain. Both of Elrond's sons had one of their own by now, given to them when they first rode out with the Imladris Guard. They had not however been unfamiliar with the garment. When the twins had been very young, Glorfindel had returned from the wild on several occasions wishing to talk to Elrond when Elrond was over- occupied keeping an eye on two toddling sons. This problem had been solved by the blond elf unfastening his cloak and draping it over a stool. They had then been able to talk in peace with little more to disturb them than muffled squeals and giggles as the twins explored their cave. Later the cloak had become a picnic rug when Elrond and Glorfindel had taken the boys on their first hikes to the outskirts of Imladris. He could still remember Elrohir sitting cross-legged on the rug looking around him with wide eyes as he realised the huge amount of land that existed beyond the security of the valley. During that long summer however Elrond had seen it far more often being used as a blanket in which Glorfindel had wrapped his sleepy son as he carried him back to the house. ~*~ "And the fireworks were beautiful," Elrohir rambled on regardless of his brother's scowl, "The big one was all golden and like rain!" Elladan stuck his tongue out at his brother and snatched the last peach from the bowl on the table from under Elrohir's outstretched hand. "You did not look straight at the fire?" Elladan made his voice low and worried. "Of course," Elrohir looked puzzled then continued with a smirk, "You cannot admire the wonderful fireworks from the feast without looking at them. Mithrandir will not be coming back for years." "Oh Elrohir," Elladan rubbed his brother's arm as if to console him, "Did nobody tell you that if you look straight at Mithrandir's fireworks then your eyes will turn into the Eye of Sauron." Elrohir looked disbelieving. "You lie. That would not happen," he bit his lip slightly, "Ada would have said." "I bet that Ada did not watch the fireworks as you did," Elladan guessed. His Ada never looked at anything interesting in the same way he did, preferring long boring conversations with Erestor or Glorfindel. "N. . . No," Elrohir looked worried. "Never mind Elrohir," Elladan tried to hide his grin, "I shall still love you even when your eyes burn out. You are my brother." "Ada!" Elrohir wailed cutting across the rest of the conversation at the table, "You shall not let me turn into Sauron shall you?" Two minutes later Elladan was sitting on his bed, with strict instructions to never ever use the name of the Dark Lord lightly. He couldn't help laughing to himself. Even missing his breakfast was well worth it. The look on Elrohir's face had been priceless. ~*~ "They have grown into lively elflings," Galadriel observed. The twins had been deposited in Erestor's study for an extremely long and boring lesson in dwarfish runes, Elrond had retired to his study and Celeborn had chosen to visit the library. This left Galadriel and her daughter free to walk through the peaceful gardens in Imladris. Celebrian thought back through the twins' short lives. Her mother had not seen them since they were small pink bundles barely able to do more than wave a fist. Since they had found their feet and learnt to talk she could not remember a moment of peace and quiet while they were awake. "They are enthusiastic," Celebrian chose her words carefully. Caring for the young twins had been and still was in some respects exhausting. Breaking tradition for such a leader, Elrond had been heavily involved in caring for his children, and Glorfindel had slipped in unobtrusively becoming a babysitter and mentor for the boys. Even so on many nights she had been so tired that she had fallen asleep before her husband returned home. It was not so much a matter of having grown into anything. Her children had the collective energy of a small army. "Elrohir is coming to be like his father," Galadriel had been impressed by the child's concentration and his interest in the stories that Celeborn had told him the previous night. Although her husband had never been overly fond of small elves he had lifted Elrohir onto his knee and listened as a favourite book was shown to him with every semblance of enjoyment. "Elrohir is a good boy," Celebrian smiled thinking of her gentle son, "He is an easy child." Galadriel flashed her daughter a quick look. "And Elladan is not?" Galadriel asked curiously, hiding her smile as she thought of her stubborn grandson. There was something in him that reminded her of her own brothers. "Elladan is Elladan," Celebrian said at length, "And I love him dearly, but he is not and will never be an easy child." ~*~ "Are you normally that careless with your belongings child?" Celeborn's disapproving voice spread across the garden. Elladan looked up with a scowl from where he had been dragging his bow along the path, letting it collide with each step with a dull thunk. Sighing he picked up the bow and carried it slowly up the steps. It had been another dreary day of archery in training. Luckily this was the last afternoon of the three lessons and tomorrow he would be able to return to fencing. Despite the hours spent in learning his arrows were now only slightly more likely to hit the target than before and he knew that the arrows that had hit close to the centre had been flukes. "Celeborn," Elladan reached the terrace and greeted his grandfather with the customary nod before turning to his father, "Ada, will you practise fencing with me this evening?" Elrond took his eyes of the progress of his youngest son up the path, skipping happily and pausing to pick some yellow flowers. "Elladan," Elrond said severely observing his son closely, "Did Glorfindel not agree to help you with your archery this evening?" Elladan squirmed slightly, looking out at the wooded slopes of the valley in his search for inspiration. "Well Ada he did," Elladan tried to make his excuse sound plausible, "But then I thought that he might be busy. Maybe he would rather do something else this evening." Elrond looked hard at Elladan while the boy tried to adopt the considerate expression his twin sometimes wore. The excuse did not deserve a second thought for although his friend probably had a hundred other things he would rather do that evening it was uncharacteristic of Elladan to think of this and unthinkable that he would refrain from his activity because of it. What amazed him was that his son would not wish to take every opportunity to practice any physical activity, and indeed would be so intent on avoiding it that he would lie. "Are you well Elladan, you did not get hurt?" Elrond asked concerned. "No Ada," Elladan shook his head. His shoulder was aching but considering how he had got that injury it was wise not to bring it up. Elrond racked his brains for any other cause for the turn around in attitude. Glorfindel had told him that he had shouted at the boy rather loudly but surely that could not have caused the problem. No matter how many times he scolded Elladan, the child would always be pestering for attention by the evening. "Did you tell Glorfindel that you would meet him?" "Yes, but. . ." "So you must either hold your promise or go and explain to him why you would not join him." Elrond watched his son frown as both displeasing possibilities were considered. "Can we not send a messenger?" Elladan ventured at length, knowing what the answer would be. "Elladan," Elrond said patiently, getting up to greet Elrohir as he reached the terrace. "Very well," Elladan pulled a horrible face, "I shall go to horrible archery but I shall not try hard and I shall not enjoy a minute of it!" "Good," Elrond ignored Elladan's complaints; "I would clean that bow first. Glorfindel does not approve of damaging one's weapons." "Ada!" Elrohir ran up the steps and into an embrace. "Elrohir," Elrond kissed his forehead willing a positive reply, "Did you have a good day?" "Oh yes Ada," Elrohir reached for his glass of juice, "We did defences in fencing and afterwards we went down to the stream and chased the fish!" Elrond smiled. Although the young elves were usually forbidden to go near the fast flowing river at the base of the valley there were a number of small bubbling streams that were favoured play areas. On most sunny afternoons there were usually groups of elflings to be found paddling and attempting to grasp the fast moving minnows. "Celeborn," Elrohir asked with a smile, "Are you fond of archery?" Elrond sighed in despair, at this rate he was going to get a reputation all over middle earth of subjecting his guests to battle with his young sons. However to his surprise Celeborn got up with a smile. "Yes I am, do not tell me you are already old enough to learn to use the bow?" "Oh I am," Elrohir hopped excitedly, beaming at the thought that he enjoyed something that anyone as important as his grandfather did, "Well I've only had three lessons." "Elrohir is learning fast," Elrond said with pride, signalling a bored looking Elladan to come forwards and come and talk to his grandfather. Elladan got up off the stone and dumped his bow in the flowerbed; "Here we start our children on the bow at nine years." Elrond waited for the inevitable comment regarding the deficiencies of the Imladris training arrangements. Miraculously it was not forthcoming. Instead his father in law looked at Elrohir as if estimating his height and weight. "Yes," Celeborn agreed placidly, "Maybe they are grown enough to attempt such a skill." Elrohir smiled in delight. The twins had always been small for their age and it was rare that any comment about their size was a positive one. "Now," Celeborn pinched Elladan's arm gently testing the muscle tone, "They are a little scrawny Elrond." Elladan immediately reached out to his grandfather's leg and pinched back hard. Celeborn looked down at him with a thunderous expression. Elrond glared at his son while manoeuvring him to a safe position. He did not wish either party to retaliate further and risk starting a grandfather-grandson fistfight. "Elladan, what were you thinking?" Elrond looked at his son who shrugged, "You may go and sit in your room until you have decided to behave like an elf not an orc." Exasperated Elrond turned to a frowning Celeborn. "Celeborn," Elrohir broke in eagerly with a sweet smile, "Will you have time to practice archery with me this evening? Please?" "Now little one will your father allow me to aid you?" Celeborn's frown melted into a tolerant smile. Elrohir looked up at his father, who smiled, rather bemused at Elrohir's pacifying effect on his grandfather. Elrohir nodded happily. "Then nothing would please me more," Celeborn looked a little taken aback as Elrohir treated him to a violent hug. ~*~ Elladan glowered at the wall, trying to ignore his rumbling stomach. Elrohir had had his supper by now and had happily rushed down to the training ranges with Celeborn and his father. Nobody had spared him a second thought. He would not apologise to his grandfather even if it meant he would starve to death! Nobody ever took his side in the argument and he knew he was right. Hot tears of self-pity began welling up in his eyes. "Elladan," Celebrian knocked on the door and opened it, "Should you not go and find Glorfindel now?" Elladan blinked back tears and sat up with a jerk. He briefly considered refusing to go, but any more time spent in this room would be torture. "I am going Ammė," Elladan made an attempt at politeness. One thing Elrond would not tolerate in his sons was rudeness to any woman, especially their mother. "Be good Elladan," Celebrian gave him a hug that he returned rather grumpily, "Do not forget your bow." Having retrieved his rather dirty and scuffed bow Elladan made his way to Glorfindel's study, dawdling as much as he dared. Maybe if he were bad enough then Glorfindel would refuse to teach him. But then he did want to be good at archery. More than anything he had known so far. ~*~ Glorfindel was waiting in his study when Elladan knocked. "Come" Elladan came in silently and stood before Glorfindel without taking his eyes off the floor. Glorfindel sighed. The boy looked as if he was expecting a punishment rather than entertainment. He did regret shouting at him yesterday for he realised he had taken his own fears and anger at himself out on the boy. He had not even had a chance to apologise for Elladan had been sleeping when he had looked in. "Come along Elladan, we are going to go down to the lower ranges for I must teach a class there afterwards and we do not have much time," Glorfindel grabbed his bow and some packages and slipped the quiver on over his tunic. Elladan smiled reluctantly. Only the archers trained on the lower ranges so there was no chance of anyone he knew seeing had poor he was at archery. Once they were down on the grassy expanse Glorfindel strode over to the furthest target and sat down against a tree halfway from the line to the target. It was still a little more than the distance that Elladan should be shooting but this was the most comfortable spot to sit. "Right Elladan," Glorfindel smiled at the apprehensive looking boy wishing that he would respond or at least make eye contact, "Show me what you can do." Elladan looked nervously at the target as Glorfindel sat back, folding his arms behind his head. Much as he didn't want to try to show his Ada that he could do so if he wanted to, he had a feeling that even his best efforts would look like he wasn't trying and he was afraid that Glorfindel would become angry. He notched the arrow onto the bow and released it after looking worriedly at Glorfindel and getting a nod. It missed the target by several feet, landing in the dirt by the surrounding trees. Elladan cringed, feeling his face growing hot. Elrohir would surely have planted the arrow firmly in the middle of the red painted circle. "Carry on," Glorfindel called encouragingly. Elladan picked up another arrow. He half wished that Glorfindel would stop being nice, so at least then he wouldn't feel so bad about performing so poorly. Five minutes and several arrows later Glorfindel stood up and walked over. "That's enough," he took the bow from Elladan and examined it closely, biting his tongue to avoid reprimanding him about its soiled state. "It is dirty. I am sorry," Elladan mumbled awkwardly. Glorfindel did not reply, deciding that no comment was better than an angry one, and adjusted the tightness of the string. "You are holding the bow wrongly," Glorfindel knelt down adjusting Elladan's position until it met his exacting standards, "Now the arrow. . . no, no you're doing that wrong." Five minutes later Elladan was managing to fit the arrow to Glorfindel's satisfaction nearly all of the time. "Now aim at the target," Glorfindel sighed audibly making his trainee flinch, "No it's alright it's just that you're doing that wrong." Eventually and as Elladan was about to cry in frustration Glorfindel instructed him to shoot. The arrow hit the target about halfway from the centre; Elladan turned to Glorfindel his face glowing with pleasure only to find that he was not even looking at his triumph. "You released the arrow wrongly," Glorfindel frowned. When he got no reply, he looked up to find Elladan's face getting steadily pinker and the rosy lips were starting to tremble. Sighing he got up and took the child's hand, "Alright lets take a break." How did his colleagues that worked with the children manage Glorfindel pondered as he sat down and gently squeezed Elladan's shoulder? It had never occurred to him that he should aim for less than perfect standards when faced with such a young child. Glorfindel worked with soldiers and survival in battle depended on perfect techniques. His training had never let anyone down. "Are you hungry?" Glorfindel asked as Elladan's stomach let out a large rumble. Elladan nodded still not meeting his eyes. Glorfindel reached for his picnic supper. He had intended to eat it while he watched the child but he could always find more food later. "Did you not like your supper?" Glorfindel handed a large slice of cold meat to an eager hand. "I did not get any supper," Elladan said in a much-maligned voice as he wolfed down the food, "Or breakfast." "Why ever not?" Glorfindel set the parcel of food down between the pair of them. He knew that Elrond would never abuse his sons but it seemed as if the elfling had more need of sustenance than he did. "Well," Elladan wondered if he should risk second punishment by detailing his crimes, "First I told Elrohir that he would turn into Sauron and then I pinched my grandfather." "You pinched Lord Celeborn?" Glorfindel asked curiously, clearly struggling with some emotion. "Yes," Elladan said, quickly supplementing his answer as he wondered if Glorfindel was going to become angry with him, "But he started it!" The older elf broke into noisy laughter, tears of mirth running down his face. He really must spend more time with Elrond and his guests, for he would have given much to see the expression of the Lord of Lorien when faced by his impudent grandson. "You are not angry?" Elladan's grey eyes met the blue ones in his surprise. Glorfindel tried hard to control his laughter. "Oh I should be Elladan. Should anyone ask I am most disappointed in your behaviour." Elladan gave Glorfindel a little smile as he reached for some bread and leant his head against the larger arm. The blond elf ruffled the tangled dark hair as he took some cheese before it all disappeared into a ravenously hungry elfling. ~*~ By the time the guards came down to the training ground an hour later nearly all of the arrows were hitting the target, several of them tantalisingly close to the red circle that marked the centre. "Right that's enough for today," Glorfindel called as Elladan scampered back from the target holding his arrows. "Thank you Glorfindel," Elladan hugged Glorfindel tightly much to the amusement of some of the nearby soldiers. "You are welcome Elladan," Glorfindel patted him on the back rather self- consciously, "Do you wish to try again on Saturday?" Elladan nodded energetically drawing more smiles from the soldiers then looked rather worriedly at the darkening pathway under the trees and back to Glorfindel, "Glorfindel, I'm not allowed to walk up from here on my own." Glorfindel looked down in irritation. He was already half preoccupied with thoughts of the coming practice and the last thing he needed was to have to worry about Elladan too. However the training would be over by Elladan's bedtime and the boy could easily wait here until he had finished. "Come," Glorfindel strode over to a tree behind the targets well away from any possible danger and spread his cloak on the ground, "You will sit here. You will not move. You will not make a noise. Do you understand?" Elladan nodded sitting down on the blanket. "Good," Glorfindel gave him a rather absent minded smile as he strode off to take control of the gathering crowd of elves. Elladan enjoyed watching the training session, wrapping himself in the thick woollen fabric as the air grew cool later in the evening. He had never seen the Imladris Guard practice before and to his delight they were holding their bows exactly the way Glorfindel had made him do. They nearly always hit the centre of the target, but Elladan only narrowly avoided giggling when one of Glorfindel's arrows sailed to the edge of the circle and the blond elf kicked the ground in frustration. Eventually however the regular noise of the shouted command followed by the swish of bowstrings became increasingly soothing and Elladan, exhausted by the hours of training, rested his head on his elbow and slept. |
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