Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof
*****
"Elrohir, awake."
The aforementioned twin, without focusing his eyes to see who the disturber of his sleep was, groaned a protest. He was warm and cozy beneath the covers, and had no need for sloppy, slippery, muddy and wet morning of post- rain. It was early winter in Imladris, and the weather had been a nearly constant string of rainy days, with the occasional hailstorm. Scholarly and organized, Elrohir personally looked forward to the days of snow: tidy, clean snow, fun to play in and easy to be rid of.
"Elrohir, Ada says you must waken," Elladan said, shaking his brother.
"Why?" asked Elrohir when his brother failed to desist. Rolling onto his side, he took a good look at Elladan. The elder twin wore leather boots, running over his thick leggings, his cloak fastened over his tunic. By the half-grim, half-pleased expression on Elladan's face, Elrohir knew exactly why he had been roused at this Eru-cursed hour. He moaned and flopped to a sleeping position. "Not today!"
"Yes, today, it must be today. Signs of rain show; the day may be one of sunshine for only hours and you waste away precious seconds here in bed being a jolly great whinger! And, no matter what you say, Ada says you must waken. Morning is half gone!"
"I never," muttered Elrohir, grudgingly forcing himself into sitting position. "The sun only rises, the morn half gone! Now that I am awake, Elladan, and my sleep ruined, leave me be!"
"All right, but if you are not in the corridor in a quarter-hour I will fetch a pitcher of water and pour it over your sleeping head."
"You would not dare!" Elrohir returned, quite fearing that his twin would dare, and shoved Elladan from the room. In peace he hastened to dress himself and comb his hair, then hurried to meet Elladan in the hall, fastening his cloak around his shoulders. "We are to practice tracking, I presume?" Elrohir stated, distrusting Elladan's grin.
"Well, not. . .exactly," Elladan replied. "Ada said I may not go riding alone, and I--"
"Elladan!" exclaimed Elrohir, incensed. "You woke me because you wished to go riding?"
"You promised me you would come," Elladan returned. "I asked you last night and you said I might wake you early, if Ada said no." For a moment the two identical boys walked in silence, both ashamed--Elladan for his joking and Elrohir for being so angry and forgetful. "Please let's not fight, Elrohir. You said you would come, and. . .well, it means a lot to me, these rides, and Ada will not let me go alone. It is not the same with him, though he offered to accompany me. This is something I wish to share only with you. To me it is something special."
In silence the twins walked out into the muddy Imladris of predawn. It took a moment, but their eyes adjusted and they continued. Their silence was not companionable. At last, as they reached the stables, Elladan burning and Elrohir contemplating, the boys faced one another. "You are still here," Elladan commented.
"Let's just get this over with," Elrohir said, amazed at his own harshness. He knew how Elladan felt, and was so often the passive twin!
With a pained nod Elladan drew open the stable door and entered. Elrohir stayed for a moment, hoping to calm himself and approach his brother in a calmer manner. Hands in his pockets, Elrohir watched clouds of vapor appear as he breathed. Before he was quite ready to make a decision, he heard a cry. "Elrohir! Elrohir!"
"Elladan, what is it?" asked Elrohir, running to find what was wrong with his brother. He did not notice the pleasant smell of horses and fodder, nor the welcome warmth of so many horses. Panic overtook anger. Yet Elladan stood, looking fine, staring into an empty stall. Elrohir calmed, anger rising again as he approached. "Elladan--"
"Elrohir, do you think he is all right?" Elladan muttered under his breath.
"Who?" drawing even with Elladan, Elrohir gazed into the stall. There, on a pile of hay, blond locks mixed with blond straw. The Elfling child was unmistakable; small and pale. His thumb rested in his mouth, and by all appearances he rested--save his eyes. His eyes were closed.
With a gasp, Elrohir mimed a sign to the Valar to protect the child. Elladan called his name quietly. "Legolas?"
*****
To be continued
*****
"Elrohir, awake."
The aforementioned twin, without focusing his eyes to see who the disturber of his sleep was, groaned a protest. He was warm and cozy beneath the covers, and had no need for sloppy, slippery, muddy and wet morning of post- rain. It was early winter in Imladris, and the weather had been a nearly constant string of rainy days, with the occasional hailstorm. Scholarly and organized, Elrohir personally looked forward to the days of snow: tidy, clean snow, fun to play in and easy to be rid of.
"Elrohir, Ada says you must waken," Elladan said, shaking his brother.
"Why?" asked Elrohir when his brother failed to desist. Rolling onto his side, he took a good look at Elladan. The elder twin wore leather boots, running over his thick leggings, his cloak fastened over his tunic. By the half-grim, half-pleased expression on Elladan's face, Elrohir knew exactly why he had been roused at this Eru-cursed hour. He moaned and flopped to a sleeping position. "Not today!"
"Yes, today, it must be today. Signs of rain show; the day may be one of sunshine for only hours and you waste away precious seconds here in bed being a jolly great whinger! And, no matter what you say, Ada says you must waken. Morning is half gone!"
"I never," muttered Elrohir, grudgingly forcing himself into sitting position. "The sun only rises, the morn half gone! Now that I am awake, Elladan, and my sleep ruined, leave me be!"
"All right, but if you are not in the corridor in a quarter-hour I will fetch a pitcher of water and pour it over your sleeping head."
"You would not dare!" Elrohir returned, quite fearing that his twin would dare, and shoved Elladan from the room. In peace he hastened to dress himself and comb his hair, then hurried to meet Elladan in the hall, fastening his cloak around his shoulders. "We are to practice tracking, I presume?" Elrohir stated, distrusting Elladan's grin.
"Well, not. . .exactly," Elladan replied. "Ada said I may not go riding alone, and I--"
"Elladan!" exclaimed Elrohir, incensed. "You woke me because you wished to go riding?"
"You promised me you would come," Elladan returned. "I asked you last night and you said I might wake you early, if Ada said no." For a moment the two identical boys walked in silence, both ashamed--Elladan for his joking and Elrohir for being so angry and forgetful. "Please let's not fight, Elrohir. You said you would come, and. . .well, it means a lot to me, these rides, and Ada will not let me go alone. It is not the same with him, though he offered to accompany me. This is something I wish to share only with you. To me it is something special."
In silence the twins walked out into the muddy Imladris of predawn. It took a moment, but their eyes adjusted and they continued. Their silence was not companionable. At last, as they reached the stables, Elladan burning and Elrohir contemplating, the boys faced one another. "You are still here," Elladan commented.
"Let's just get this over with," Elrohir said, amazed at his own harshness. He knew how Elladan felt, and was so often the passive twin!
With a pained nod Elladan drew open the stable door and entered. Elrohir stayed for a moment, hoping to calm himself and approach his brother in a calmer manner. Hands in his pockets, Elrohir watched clouds of vapor appear as he breathed. Before he was quite ready to make a decision, he heard a cry. "Elrohir! Elrohir!"
"Elladan, what is it?" asked Elrohir, running to find what was wrong with his brother. He did not notice the pleasant smell of horses and fodder, nor the welcome warmth of so many horses. Panic overtook anger. Yet Elladan stood, looking fine, staring into an empty stall. Elrohir calmed, anger rising again as he approached. "Elladan--"
"Elrohir, do you think he is all right?" Elladan muttered under his breath.
"Who?" drawing even with Elladan, Elrohir gazed into the stall. There, on a pile of hay, blond locks mixed with blond straw. The Elfling child was unmistakable; small and pale. His thumb rested in his mouth, and by all appearances he rested--save his eyes. His eyes were closed.
With a gasp, Elrohir mimed a sign to the Valar to protect the child. Elladan called his name quietly. "Legolas?"
*****
To be continued