Here's a fun little fic in the spirit of the season. Please read, review, and enjoy. This fanfic could not have been posted in the form it is without an awesome beta. Thanks to Aria Breuer!
Staring down into the rushing river beneath him, Elrohir sat on the stone bridge leading into Imladris. His brother sat beside him, quietly sharpening his knife. It was autumn in the Hidden Valley. The tall birch trees were coming alive with golden colour and the air was beginning to cool. The hypnotic sound of Elladan's whetting kept his mind on edge. He felt rushed like the Bruinen below him. Something was on his mind; some elusive thought gnawed away at the back of his consciousness. Elladan's rhythmic sharpening kept distracting him from putting the thought into words. Finally, Elrohir couldn't take it anymore. He stood, frustrated, and ran his fingers through his too long hair. "Let's go hunting."
Elladan looked from his work; he looked almost relieved. "I thought you would never ask. What do you want to hunt for?"
Elrohir didn't care what they went hunting for. He just needed a distraction to help him release all this pent up energy inside him. He needed a respite from this accursed boredom eating his mind away. "I don't know. Whatever comes within sight first, I guess."
The twins had been roaming the woods surrounding Imladris for about three hours. The sun was starting to set turning the sky to a brilliant hue of pink. Elrohir grew more frustrated as the minutes past. Nothing was more disappointing than an uneventful hunt. The hunt had, however, succeeded in distracting him from whatever had been bothering him. Elladan must have noticed how frustrated he was getting. He kept trying to make small talk. Elrohir tried to lighten up.
After walking for a few more minutes, Elladan broke the silence. "Ro, is ever—"
A strange noise interrupted Elladan's question. Both twins looked up. It seemed to have come from a nearby tree. Elrohir placed his hand upon the hilt of his sword. Elladan lifted his bow; his eyes were fixed on a tall oak behind Elrohir. Silently, Elrohir moved out of Elladan's firing range to his brother's side and looked up into the same tree Elladan was looking at. A large bird-shaped creature was sitting on a low branch.
"What is it?" Elrohir asked.
His brother didn't answer as he quietly slipped an arrow from his quiver and nocked the arrow onto his bowstring. The barely imperceptible click of the nock setting must have alerted the creature, for it immediately took flight. Elladan was faster than the large bird, however. The second arrow hit its target and the bird dropped twenty yards away. Elladan smiled; Elrohir pumped his fist then gave his brother a hard slap on the back.
"Awesome shot! Let's go get him!"
With what light they had left the twins were able to find the bird. It was large, but that was mostly all they could make out in the twilight. "Wait a second." Elladan fished through his pockets. He took out of a match holding it out triumphantly. Both twins grinned. After Elladan crafted a crude torch they could see more of the bird's features; features that made them gasp.
It was the single most hideous thing they had ever seen. It was plump and covered in disgusting, drab brown feathers. Its face was bald, pink, hairless, and covered in dirty wrinkles. It looked like an oversized vulture. Elrohir brought his hand to his mouth
"What is it?!" Elladan looked down at it horror evident on his face. "Maybe it's a…" Elladan cocked his head, "a twisted, mutant bird-thing made by the Enemy some long years ago."
Elrohir looked to the sky and whispered "Manwë forbid." Suddenly an idea came to him. "Adar will know!" Elladan nodded. Elrohir picked up the fat bird-thing and slung it over his shoulder. "C'mon." Elladan said as he hastily led the way to their horses.
Before long, the twin sons of Elrond reached Imladris. The sun was gone and the half-moon provided soft, silver light. Eärendil's star was twinkling beautifully on the Western horizon. As soon as they passed over the narrow stone bridge, Elrohir was off his horse. Elladan jumped off his own horse and began calling for their father while Elrohir began to untie the bird-thing, now wrapped in a thick blanket, from his horse.
Elrond rushed down the stairs looking concerned "What is wrong?"
Elladan pointed at the blanketed lump on his brother's shoulder, "We found this…this bird-thing in the woods. We killed it, but we don't know what it is. "Elrohir placed the lump on the floor near his father's feet then uncovered the bird. Elladan continued. "We think it's some kind of mutated bird made by the Enemy."
Elrond's face immediately softened when he laid eyes on the reason his sons were so agitated. "Don't worry, sons. It's not a spy of the enemy." Elrond squatted down beside the bird and turned it over, "Looks like you two found yourselves a very nice turkey hen." He smiled up at the twins. "Good job, these are hard to hunt." While they still looked puzzled and anxious, the brothers grinned because of the praise.
"What do we do with it?"
"You eat it of course." Elrond stood. "Come along, my sons, I'll help you dress it."
Four days later, after eating the hen for supper, Elrond was striding quietly into his study on a lovely morning reading his mail. He stopped, sensing something different about the room. Looking up, he saw a very large, full-body, stuffed turkey hen standing in the middle of his study. A note stood balanced on its beak. He took it. In Elladan's script it read:
"We thought that, since you liked it so much, you would want to keep it forever! We love you Adar." Signed Elladan and Elrohir.