I: They’ll Be Comin’ Round the Orod When They Come

"’Ro and I would like to visit Daeradar and Daernaneth."

That was Elladan, standing with his twin before Elrond’s desk in the library. They were both looking nervous.

"We want to surprise them," his twin added.

Elrond raised one eyebrow, but otherwise kept his expression impassive, resisting the urge to laugh. Celebrían had warned him two nights before that the twins were planning something.

"How do you know?" he had asked as he helped her to brush her silken hair. The act of brushing his wife’s hair was often a prelude to lovemaking and both of them were close to arousal. They had been alone since after the nightmeal; electing not to join the others of Imladris in the Hall of Fire. It was now well after midnight.

Celebrían had sighed, her eyes half closed. "A naneth knows these things."

"What do you know?" Elrond had asked suggestively, leaning down to lick the tip of her right ear.

But that had been the wrong thing to do, for Celebrían had given a long moan of pleasure and then had grabbed the brush out of Elrond’s hand, flinging it across the room before dragging her husband to the floor. It was nearly dawn before either one was capable of resuming their conversation.

"I don’t know what they are planning," Celebrían had said when Elrond had repeated his question. Sometime during their lovemaking they had made their way to the bed, where they now lay, feeling sated for the moment. "Only that they will come to you soon."

Now he was sitting behind his desk wondering if this is what Celebrían had meant by ‘soon’. "There’s a delegation leaving for Lórien after the New Year..."

Both twins were shaking their heads at his words, looking mortified. "No, Adar," Elrohir said pleadingly. "We want to go alone... by ourselves."

Now Elrond was nonplused. "Alone."

The twins nodded. "We’re eighty-five, Adar. We’re not elflings anymore," Elladan said, sounding to Elrond’s ears as if he were indeed an elfling of thirty.

"I see." Elrond wondered fleetingly how Celebrían would react to their sons’ latest scheme and decided ruefully that she might find it a fun idea. "I must, of course, discuss this with your naneth."

The twins’ expectant looks fell and Elladan sighed. "I told you he’d say no, ’Ro."

"What I said, iôn nîn," Elrond said firmly, "is that I will discuss your proposal with your naneth. Now, if I’m not mistaken, you’re both late for your sword fighting practice with Glorfindel."

It was obviously a dismissal. Both twins bowed, mumbling "Yes, Adar," as they made a hasty retreat. Elrond looked after them with a slight smile on his face, trying to remember what he’d been doing at eighty-five. He frowned, shaking his head. At that age he and his own twin, Elros, had been fighting alongside the armies of the Maiar and Eldar of Aman against the forces of Morgoth.

A different age, that. Thank the Valar his sons would never know such horror. At least, he amended to himself, he hoped they would not. Rising from his desk, he decided to go in search of his wife. This time of day, she was likely to be in the rose garden tending the plants.

****

"They want to do what?"

Celebrían laughed, not quite believing she had heard Elrond correctly. She carefully placed the seedling she’d been holding into the hole awaiting it, covering its roots with soil and watering it, before standing up. She removed her gloves and stuffed them into a pocket of the apron she wore over her gown. Elrond took one of her hands and led her to a nearby bench under a shady elm.

"They wish to go alone. They want to surprise your parents." His own amusement bubbled up and the two of them found themselves laughing at the thought of either of Celebrían’s parents being surprised by anything, never mind by their daerionnath.

"Oh, dear," Celebrían said, trying to control her laughter. "And I bet they were very earnest about it when they asked you."

"Oh, yes. You should have seen their faces."

Celebrían laughed again, shaking her head. "Will you allow them this?"

Elrond gave his wife a searching look. "Do you think they’re capable of traveling across the Hithaeglir by themselves?"

Celebrían shrugged. "I do not know. What are the risks? We’ve had peace for some time now. Few of Sauron’s minions show themselves anymore."

"But that is not to say that they still do not constitute a threat and there are other dangers besides orcs to be found in the mountains."

Celebrían stared out into the garden, watching idly as butterflies fluttered in the late morning sun. She leaned against Elrond’s shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her. "I trust your judgment in this, my lord. You know better than I the dangers our sons would face were they to travel as they plan. If you forbid them to go, I will support you."

Elrond gave his wife a gentle squeeze, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I will discuss this with Glorfindel and Erestor and get their opinions before making a final decision."

****

"You’re joking, of course," Glorfindel laughed, shaking his golden braids in disbelief. "They’re barely old enough to go on patrol and they want to travel across the mountains? By themselves?"

"What do you think, Erestor?" Elrond asked. The three of them were in Elrond’s private study. It was after the noon meal and all three were taking their ease, sipping a light wine and nibbling on fruit and cheese.

Erestor did not say anything at first, looking thoughtful. "I wonder whose idea it was?"

Elrond smiled. "I suspect it was Elrohir’s."

The two ellyn looked at the Lord of Imladris in surprise. "Elrohir?" Glorfindel sputtered. "It’s usually Elladan who comes up with the ideas for their mad schemes."

"Perhaps," Elrond conceded with a nod. "But not this time. This time, it was Elrohir’s idea." He glanced at his chief administrator. "You haven’t said what you think of it all."

Erestor smiled, shaking his head. "No, I haven’t, have I?" He gave Glorfindel a sidelong glance before continuing. "I would like to say they are too young, but frankly, they will always be too young as far as any of us are concerned. I think they should at least be allowed to attempt it."

"But alone?" Glorfindel protested. "That’s insane. Even you and I would never do that. We’ve always had guards with us."

Erestor shook his head. "Not always."

Silence reigned between the three elves for a long moment at the implications of Erestor’s words before Glorfindel turned to Elrond and asked, "Do you know what brought this about?"

Elrond shook his head. "But I can guess. I think they are chafing under our tutelage and want to strike out on their own. Going across the Misty Mountains by themselves is a way of proving themselves to us. If they can do this and arrive in Lórien safely, then it will show their elders that they are indeed no longer elflings."

Glorfindel snorted, but Erestor’s smile merely deepened as he nodded his understanding.

"They don’t think we trust them enough," he said and Elrond gave his administrator an appraising look.

"Well, I think the whole idea is mad from beginning to end," Glorfindel opined, standing up. "However, it’s not my decision to make, thank the Valar."

"Where are you going?" Elrond asked, amusement in his eyes.

Glorfindel gave the Lord of Imladris a wry look. "If your sons are hell-bent on this scheme of theirs, I’d best start thinking of giving them extra survival training or they won’t make it a league outside the Hidden Valley before one of them stubs his toe and they have to come back."

Elrond and Erestor laughed as Glorfindel bowed and left.

****

"Do you really mean it? We can go?" Elrohir asked, his eyes bright with anticipation.

"Alone?" Elladan added, sounding unconvinced that his adar meant it.

Elrond allowed himself a small smile. "Yes, I mean it, and yes, alone."

The twins grinned at each other in triumph.

"But —" and Elrond was hard-pressed not to laugh at the sudden anxious looks his sons gave him. "But, you will not go until you’ve had proper survival training. Glorfindel is designing a program for you and you will not leave unless and until he is satisfied that you can indeed travel safely through the mountains. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Adar," Elladan said and Elrohir nodded.

"Good. Go see Glorfindel."

The twins left, their steps more buoyant than when they had been summoned into Elrond’s study.

****

The training was exhausting, more so than either twin had anticipated and they often came home in a stupor, barely able to bathe and eat dinner before falling into bed. Indeed, so exhausted were they that they slept with their eyes closed, much to Celebrían’s dismay. Elrond and Glorfindel assured her, however, that they would be fine, and so it proved.

By the end of the first week of training they were doing better and could even join the rest of the Imladris elves in the Hall of Fire during the evenings for singing and dancing, though they did not stay long.

At one point, after a most grueling training session, Elrohir made the mistake of accusing Glorfindel of enjoying himself too much in torturing them. Glorfindel merely laughed, the gleam in his eyes turning wicked. Both twins shuddered, suddenly remembering that this was someone who had once slain a balrog.

Two hours later, as the twins stumbled up the steps of the Last Homely House, feeling as if they’d had their insides fed to them, Elladan growled at his brother, "Next time, don’t say anything." Elrohir could only nod in chagrin, too exhausted to speak.

When Glorfindel later related what had happened to their parents and Erestor, Elrond could only laugh, though Celebrían merely sighed, shaking her head, but whether at Glorfindel or her sons, not even she could have said.

Erestor, on the other hand, made the observation that Glorfindel had been too lenient with the twins and the two of them then spent the rest of the evening arguing over appropriate disciplinary techniques to be used on Elrond’s sons. At one point during the discussion Elrond intervened, reminding the two ellyn that when it came to disciplining his sons, he, as their adar, had the final say in the matter.

"Subject to final approval by their naneth, of course," he added, casting a smile at Celebrían, and they all laughed.

Finally, Glorfindel announced himself satisfied that the twins had completed their training successfully and Elrond told them they could start planning their trip.

"Will you ride?"

The twins looked at each other in silent communication. Then Elladan turned to his adar. "We prefer to walk, Adar."

"It’ll take longer and you will have to carry your own supplies, unless you decide to take a packhorse."

"We know," Elrohir nodded. "But we think it’ll be better if we didn’t take the horses."

"And we can live off the land," chimed in Elladan.

Elrond nodded. "Yes, you are both capable hunters and if you leave soon you will probably find plenty of game along the way. Very well, then. Decide your route and we will discuss what you will need to take with you."

There were, of course, two routes overmountain. The most obvious route was the one over the High Pass that began only a week’s ride from Imladris. The other route was over the Redhorn Pass at Caradhras. It was the route that the elves generally took when traveling back and forth between Imladris and Lórien.

"If we take the High Pass," Elladan said as the twins pored over the maps in Elrond’s library, "we can traverse the Vales of Anduin where there are few if any settlements along the way. It’ll be more of an adventure."

"But if we take the Redhorn Pass we can travel through Tharbad, the way Daeradar and Daernaneth do," Elrohir retorted. "The distance is nearly the same, in any case, but I think Caradhras will be an easier route."

Elladan snorted. "But do we necessarily want easy? Besides, Daeradar and Daernaneth always take the Caradhras Pass when they come to visit us and we always take it when we’ve gone to visit them with Adar and Naneth."

"Then the route should be familiar to you and you are less likely to encounter trouble along the way."

The twins turned to see Erestor standing at the doorway, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Hello, Erestor," the twins chimed together.

"Hello, yourselves." Erestor laughed, remembering the times when the twins had been younger and they had greeted him the same way, usually whenever he had caught them plotting one of their numerous schemes. "Still trying to decide which way to go?"

The twins nodded as Erestor continued into the room to glance over the maps strewn across the reading table. "This time of year, Caradhras is not as forbidding as it can be, but it can still be dangerous. It is never an easy route, just less difficult." He stopped as if pondering something, then gave the twins a small smile. "You wouldn’t consider going down to the Dîn Angrenost, would you?"

The twins looked at the older elf with expressions akin to horror. "But what’s the fun of that, Erestor?" protested Elrohir. "The whole point of this expedition is to go over the mountains, not around them. Anyone can do that."

Erestor shrugged. "Just a suggestion, but if you want my opinion, the Redhorn Pass is your better bet. Now, if you will excuse me your adar is waiting for me." The chief administrator of Imladris went to Elrond’s desk to retrieve one of the account books before exiting, leaving the twins alone again.

Elladan looked at his twin. "What do you think?"

Elrohir snorted. "I think our elders are trying to plan our route for us. Have you noticed that in the past two days Glorfindel, Naneth and Adar have all said how they thought the Redhorn Pass was a more suitable route than the High Pass? And now Erestor."

His twin nodded. "Yes, I have." He gave Elrohir a sly look. "So, do we take the bait?"

"An interesting way of putting it, muindor nîn."

****

In the end the twins announced that they would travel by way of Caradhras. Their elders all breathed sighs of relief. Supplies were gathered and gone over, weapons checked and their gear repaired.

Thus it was that early on the first day of Quellë, Elladan and Elrohir set out from Imladris for Lórien with all of Imladris on hand to see them off. Celebrían refrained from fussing over them and giving them useless advice that she knew they would not heed anyway, but stood impassively next to Elrond by the main gate. The Lord of Imladris offered his sons his blessing, calling upon the Valar to watch over them. Glorfindel and Erestor wished them well, admonishing them to remember their training.

Finally, the twins bade their parents and friends farewell and set off. After crossing the bridge separating Imladris from the rest of the valley, they stopped to look back and wave before continuing westward towards the Ford of Bruinen. Once across the Ford they would continue south towards Tharbad.

When the twins were at last out of sight, and most of the rest of the inhabitants of Imladris had departed to their own tasks, Elrond turned to Celebrían. "There is something I must see to. Glorfindel will escort you back to the house." He gave his wife a gentle kiss and with a nod to Glorfindel headed in a direction away from the path leading to the main house.

Celebrían watched her husband walk away then turned to Glorfindel with a questioning look. The golden-haired elf merely shrugged, as much in the dark as Celebrían. It was only when the two of them were making their way back to the house that Glorfindel realized that Erestor was no longer with them.

****

"Do you understand your instructions?"

"Yes, lord," Eluwen answered with an impish grin, which she quickly erased from her face at the look her lord gave her.

The other scout, Thandir, nodded soberly. "We are not to interfere unless they are in extreme danger and we are not to allow them to know of our presence."

Their lord looked at them for a long moment, as if gauging their worth. Eluwen found herself inexplicably fidgeting like a raw recruit. At last he nodded. "Go then, and may the Valar be with you."

The two scouts bowed, hefted their packs onto their backs, grabbed their bows and left, taking one of the lesser known paths leading out of Imladris towards the Ford of Bruinen. The twins would not be traveling fast and it would not be difficult to catch up to them.

As they made their way through the woods, Eluwen grinned at the ellon who had been her husband since the end of the last Age. "This might prove very interesting."

Thandir just snorted. "From your lips to the Valar’s ears, meleth nîn."

****

The last sentry post was a half a league behind them when Elladan and Elrohir stopped by mutual consent. Elladan stared about him, as if ascertaining that they were indeed alone.

"The Ford is not far from here," he said, looking southwestward. "If we’re to do this, we had better do it here. We can skirt the lower stream and avoid the sentries until we’re back on the trail to the High Pass."

Elrohir gave his twin an appraising look. "We can still head south to Tharbad. It doesn’t really matter where we cross the mountains, just so we do."

Elladan shrugged. "Perhaps, but I don’t like being herded along a path like some elfling. Adar and Naneth may be letting us go alone, but they are still telling us what to do."

"Oh, I agree, Brother. I’m just letting you know that if you want to continue to Tharbad, I’m with you."

Elladan grinned, wrapping his arm around Elrohir’s shoulder and giving him a brief hug. "I know, Brother. Come, let us go."

They turned to the southeast, making their way towards the stream that flowed into the Bruinen south of Imladris, before heading directly east. The land here was marshy and they were often hidden by tall grasses that blocked their view. It was not a place they knew well, but they knew to keep the sun in their eyes. By midday they had reached higher and drier ground and they turned northeast towards the foothills shimmering blue-green in the middle distance, with the mountains towering above them, their snow-capped peaks burning bright in the noonday sun.

****

Thandir and Eluwen watched as the twins stopped short of the Ford and then turn abruptly southeastward.

"Where are they going?" Eluwen whispered in exasperation. "The Ford is that way," she pointed unnecessarily towards the southwest.

Thandir shrugged, but a small smile escaped his lips. "I think the sons of Lord Elrond have other plans than the ones their elders made for them."

Eluwen uttered a mild oath and Thandir chuckled softly. "Well, you’re the one who thought this trip would be interesting. Come, let us follow our charges before we lose them in the marshes."

****

The twins made good time during the nearly two weeks it took them to traverse the distance between Imladris and the High Pass by foot. Though it was nearly mid-Narquelië, the weather still held fine during the day, with warm sun and clear skies, although the nights were colder and their fire welcome. Their hope was to reach Lórien in a month’s time, though they allowed themselves an extra two weeks just in case. At any rate, they were determined to reach the Golden Wood before the beginning of Hrívë.

"As long as we don’t encounter anything unexpected we should do well," Elladan had said on the third day out. He had brought down a deer earlier and they were busy dressing the carcass and smoking the meat over a fire.

"I do not understand why everyone was so nervous about us making this journey alone," Elrohir said as he turned the spit. "I mean it’s not as if there are orcs behind every boulder."

Elladan gave his younger twin a wry look. "That’s because we’re still fairly close to Imladris. The last sentry post is only a day behind us if I’m not mistaken. I suspect things will be different once we’re out of arrow-range of home, so to speak."

Elrohir gave his brother a sheepish grin. "You’re probably right."

The terrain began to rise noticeably towards the mountains by the end of the first week. The red stone prevalent in the lower valleys that nestled between the Bruinen and the Hithaeglir was slowly giving way to the grey stone of the true mountains. The glorious colors of the oaks, maples and elms of the lower reaches had been left behind for the evergreen of pine and balsam. Game was not as plentiful in these parts as it had been further down in the valleys, but there were plenty of nuts, berries and roots to supplement their supplies, so they did not feel the pinch of hunger as yet. There was also plenty of water from freshlets and rills.

When they came to the Pass itself, late on the twelfth day since leaving Imladris, they made camp as usual. Elladan quickly started a fire while Elrohir, who was the better cook, began sorting through their supplies to determine what might be had for dinner.

"Do you think we should try the Pass tomorrow?" Elrohir asked his twin as he set about preparing a venison stew. He had discovered a patch of late blackberries earlier that day and had collected some to add to the stew, which would give it a fruity taste. It was a favorite dish of the twins and the cooks of Imladris often made it for them during this time of year.

Elladan shook his head. "I think we should take Adar’s advice about the Redhorn Pass and spend tomorrow resting and checking our gear. We can start the climb a couple of hours before dawn of the next day. That way we should be down the other side before dark."

Elrohir nodded in agreement. He took a look at the darkening sky. Clouds had begun to pile up to the northwest earlier that afternoon, though they did not appear to be too threatening, as yet. Still, he wondered if their luck in good weather was about to end.

"Let us hope it doesn’t rain when we’re climbing the Pass," he said fervently. Elladan merely grunted.

Unbeknown to the twins, Eluwen and Thandir were sitting together in the branches of a nearby larch, listening to their conversation. They glanced at the sky as well, then at each other. Eluwen sighed and snuggled closer to her beloved.

****

The next day was blustery and cold, but it did not rain. Storm clouds swept the sky, piling rapidly atop one another, as if racing to be the first to reach the mountains. The twins eyed the weather with some trepidation , but otherwise continued to spend the day going over their gear and replenishing their supplies. There were no deer this high up but Elrohir brought down a brace of coneys and spent the better part of the afternoon smoking the meat for future consumption.

"Once on the other side, we should have better luck with game," Elladan said, as he sat by their fire cleaning his sword. Elrohir merely grunted, then went in search of edible roots and berries to take with them while Elladan tended the fire.

Meanwhile, Thandir and Eluwen were busy with their own preparations. They had slipped away from the twins’ camp before dawn to hunt. Having gone back towards the valley, they allowed themselves a small fire since they were nowhere near where the sons of Elrond would find them.

As they sat by the fire, checking their own gear, Eluwen moaned, "Oh why couldn’t these foolish children have stuck to the plan and gone to Tharbad? We could be sleeping in a soft bed tonight."

Thandir gave his mate a wry look. "How long have you been a scout, my dear?"

Eluwen stuck her tongue out at her husband. "Too long."

Thandir snickered, bending down to give his beloved a kiss on her head. "Well, there’s no soft bed to be had, but there’s a warm fire and I have a blanket that’s not being used at the moment."

He leered suggestively and Eluwen raised an eyebrow, then smiled wickedly. "Just remember, dear, no screaming. We don’t want the children to hear us."

Thandir laughed loudly at that even as he pulled his wife to him and began kissing her long and deeply. In the end they didn’t bother with the blanket.

****

The night was chill and frost rimed the ground when Elladan, who had taken the last watch, roused his brother. "Time to go." They quickly downed some scalding hot tea and munched on some waybread before breaking camp, dousing the fire and generally leaving no trace of their presence before starting their climb.

Ithil was lost behind the clouds and could offer no light, so they made torches to help them find the path. The scouts, some distance behind them, breathed sighs of relief. They would be able to follow the torches well enough until Anor crested the mountains, though it was unlikely she would be seen today.

The first part of the climb was gentle enough and the twins made good time in spite of walking in the dark, made more so by the clouds blocking both moon and stars. It was an hour past dawn though before they began to feel the climb, for the way became steep and the path narrowed, twisting back and forth across the face of the mountain as it wended higher and higher. They stopped twice to rest, their packs feeling heavier with every step.

"Maybe we should have considered bringing a packhorse with us," Elrohir said when they stopped the second time, taking a swig of water from his waterskin.

"Maybe," Elladan agreed. "But it would have been impracticable considering our change in plans."

"I suppose," Elrohir conceded reluctantly. "Come on, let’s see if we can reach the crest by noon. If nothing else, the climb is giving me an appetite."

So they continued on, passing the tree line sometime later. It was not so late in the year that the snowpack would block the pass, but it was deep enough. There was still the danger of avalanches so they kept a wary eye on their surroundings. If it suddenly started raining, or even snowing at this high altitude, they might encounter problems.

But the weather held. They reached the crest shortly before noon and munched on some waybread and slightly moldy cheese, giving their legs a well-deserved rest before continuing down. They had not gone far when they heard thunder. Looking back they could see flashes of lightning brightening the sky over Eriador, though it did not look all that close.

"I think our luck is about to end, Brother," Elladan said. "Let’s see if we can get down to the tree line and find some shelter."

Eluwen and Thandir, meanwhile, were still on the western side of the crest when the rain began.

"Orcspit!" Eluwen yelled, throwing the hood of her cloak over her head.

"Come on, let’s get up to the crest. I doubt the twins will see us in all this rain."

The two scouts made a mad dash for the crest, which lay about a hundred feet above them. By the time they reached it they were both wet and mud-splattered. They peered through the rain-filled darkness, hoping to catch a glimpse of their charges.

"Do you see them?" Thandir asked, for Eluwen’s eyes were sharper than his own.

She shook her head. "Nay, but I’m not surprised. We deliberately held back to give them plenty of time to get further down the mountain so they wouldn’t see us if they looked back. Come on, we can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous."

Thus, they followed the twins down. By now the storm had crossed the mountains to hit the other side, though most of its fury had already been spent. Still, the lightning and thunder continued apace and the rain fell hard.

Elladan and Elrohir made the best time they could, taking care not to run, for the way was still steep and now the rain was making the ground slick, turning everything to mud as the snow melted under them. Through the darkness they could see a deeper gloom that must mark the beginning of the tree line further down.

"We’re almost there," Elrohir shouted just as a particularly close bolt of lightning flashed above them followed by a clap of thunder that was so loud it caused the ground to tremble. The sound of thunder rumbled on, echoing across the mountains, but instead of fading, seemed to grow louder. Elladan looked back and grabbed his brother’s arm.

"Avalanche!" he screamed, pulling Elrohir with him as he began to run. Elrohir had just enough time to look back to see a mass of snow and scree come rushing towards them before he was swept out of his brother’s hold.

****

Orod: Mountain.

Daeradar: Grandfather.

Daernaneth: Grandmother.

Naneth: Mother.

Adar: Father.

Iôn nîn:  My son.

Daerionnath: Grandsons; the singular would be daerion.

Hithaeglir:  Misty Mountains.

Muindor nîn: My brother.

Quellë: (Quenya) The season known as "Fading" by the elves, which begins around 30 Yavannië (Ivanneth), which month we know as September. Also called Lasselanta (Leaf-falling), or in Sindarin, either Firith or Narbeleth. This season lasts 54 days.

Ellon/ellyn: Male elf/elves.

Meleth nîn: My love.

Dîn Angrenost: The Gap of Angrenost; what would later become known as the Gap of Rohan. I have postulated that at this time it would be named after the most prominent feature in the area — Orthanc.

Narquelië: (Quenya) the month we know as October. In Sindarin it was called Narbeleth.

Eluwen: (OC) a Sinda born in Lindon after the War of Wrath whose parents followed Oropher to Eryn Galen. Later, she removed to Imladris. The name was given in memory of Elu Thingol.

Thandir: (OC) a Noldo of Imladris, born in Aman. His name in the Undying Lands was Calamandil. Thandir is a Sindarin version of his amilessë or mother-name, Turmaher "Shield lord".

Hrívë: The season known as "Winter" by the elves; in Sindarin, Rhîw. It begins around 24 Hísimë (Hithui), which month we know as November. This season lasts 72 days.

Note: Elladan and Elrohir were born in T.A. 130. This story takes place in T.A. 215. At eighty-five the twins are the equivalent of a young adult human of about thirty-six.