To the Twins

by MistressOfImladris

The young twins have an adventure when they go mountain-climbing.

To the Twins

Celebrian moved gracefully down the hall, trying to hide her annoyance. Trailing behind her were her two twin sons, both of whom were soaking wet.

Reaching their bedroom door, she opened it and stood back, pulling her beautiful silk skirt out of the way.

The twins squelched in. Immediately after, Celebrian turned and shut the door, resting her forehead against the cool wood. After a moment, she turned around, only to trip over something – or someone – standing in her path.

'Elladan!' she cried out as she caught hold of the door handle to keep from falling onto him.

Elladan patted his mother's free hand. 'Careful, Nana. Listen to the sounds my shoes make when I walk around!' He demonstrated, swaggering around the room and splattering mud all over the floor.

Squelch, squish, squeak, squelch, squash, squeal, grind!

'Stop!' Celebrian yelped, shuddering as her blood ran cold. 'Take your boots off, both of you.'

Elladan frowned. He quite liked the dirty sound. Nonetheless, he knew it would be unwise to disobey Nana. Ada always asked Nana if they had been good. If they hadn't, then they would have to stand in the corner for ten minutes (or longer, depending on how bad they had been), or if they had been dreadful, Ada would lay the one closest to him over his knee and smack them firmly. He would then repeat this painful deed with the unfortunate twin waiting.

Elladan shuddered as he struggled with the knotted lace on his left foot. He remembered his first spanking for the 'you-were-a-bad-boy-today' crime. While Elrohir howled in anticipation, Elladan was planning a devious plan. When his squirming and crying brother was released and his father was reaching for Elladan, he slowly backed away.

'No spanking for me, Ada. I was not bad enough,' he explained when Elrond called a warning.

'Elladan come over here,' Elrond said in his no-nonsense tone. When his fleeing son would not obey, Elrond slowly rose from his chair and made for the miscreant.

Elladan ran to hide under a table. Elrond almost managed to grab him. Deciding the table was not a safe enough shelter, he ran through the maze of chairs, leading his father through an obstacle course.

'Elladan, do you want two spankings?' Elrond asked sternly.

Elladan stopped and considered. 'No, Ada, I do not even want one. That is why I am running.' Elladan started his journey once more, not noticing his mother stepping in front of him. He continued. 'Ada, Glorfy taught us a new rhyme today.'

Elrond did not answer. Another half-second and Elladan ran into his Nana's legs.

The next instant his father swept down on him. Lifting him effortlessly, Elrond carried the kicking Elladan over to his chair.

Lying Elladan across his lap, Elrond scolded, 'You were a bad boy, Elladan, to run away. When you try to do that, you only get a worse punishment. Instead of one swat, you may have three.'

'Nooo!' Elladan wailed. 'Not fair!'

But unfortunately for Elladan, his father's definition of 'fair' did not appear to agree with Elladan's, and he proceeded to swat Elladan firmly, counting out loud.

'One...'

'Ow.'

'Two...'

'Owie, Ada!'

'Three...'

'Adaaa...' Elladan let out a long wail, even as Elrond sat him up on his lap and hugged him.

Once Elladan had calmed down, Elrond turned him so they could face each other. 'Are you going to run away again, tithen pen-nin?'

Elladan shook his head, scrubbing at his cheeks with his little fists. 'No, Ada. I was a bad boy, and I am sorry.'

'Very good,' Elrond smiled. 'Now, what poem did Glorfy teach you today?'

Elladan shook his head sadly. 'It does not matter now.'

Elrohir broke in. He had watched the whole thing in shock from his mother's arms. 'It was the Gingerbread Man,' he volunteered.

'Oh?' Elrond replied.

'Yes, the 'Run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!' one!' Elrohir answered.

Elladan sourly kicked back at the rung of his father's chair, but instead his little booted heel came in contact with Elrond's shin.

'Ouch, Elladan!' he yelped.

Elladan looked guilty. 'Sorry, Ada. I did not mean to kick you.'

'Hmm.'

Elladan was jerked back to the present by the sound of his mother's voice.

'Hurry, Elladan, you are not even out of your boots yet, and Elrohir is half-dressed.'

Elladan gave up on the lace and forcibly pulled his boots off. He swiftly changed into dry clothes, then stood shamefacedly beside Elrohir to receive their lecture.

Celebrian began at once. 'Now, boys, you know that Ada is very busy with our important visitors, right?'

Two heads nodded.

'And you do not want me to have to ask him to come here to punish you?' she continued.

Two heads shook very rapidly.

'Then why would you play such a mean trick on Erestor?' she asked severely. 'All three of us, Erestor, Ada, and I, were busy, but you interrupted Erestor and me for no good reason. Because of that, you will remain in this room until dinner.'

'But Nana!' started Elrohir.

'Hush, Elrohir, I am not finished. I have some work to do for your father. So no silly play, all right?'

Two heads nodded glumly. 'Yes, Nana,' they chorused.

'Good. I will leave you here now. You may not leave the room, understood?' With that, Celebrian scooped up the wet clothes and swept out of the room, trying to ignore the wet mark in the shape of Elladan on the front of her gown.

It seemed that Elrohir also remembered the consequences of having a bad report at the end of a day. For a while, both boys were content to sit in the middle of the floor and play with wooden soldiers. However, not an hour had passed before Elrohir jumped up, causing Elladan's army to collapse like a game of dominoes.

'El!' Elladan cried, hurling one of the soldiers at his brother, who jumped out of the way.

'I am sorry, Elladan,' Elrohir said immediately, running to help set the toys up again.

'Why did you do that?' Elladan asked angrily, shoving his twin away. 'Do not touch them!'

Elrohir sat down with a thump. 'I was bored, and thought that we should pretend we are going to climb all the Misty Mountains.'

Elladan's hands stilled. 'That is a grand idea!' he cried. 'Let us do it!'

Not bothering to replace the soldiers in their box, the twins jumped up.

Elrohir jumped on a chair. 'This is Nauron,' the announced. 'The smallest one.'

Elladan leapt onto the chair, then from the chair to the bed. 'This is the second biggest!' he cried. '(I only know Caradhras from Glorfy's stories.)'

Elrohir made a flying leap from the chair to the bed to the dresser. Elladan soon followed.

In this manner, the twins came to have stood on nearly every piece of furniture in the room. They were almost at Caradhras, but they found they could no longer climb any further. Both were standing precariously on a stool, which stood on a chair on the dresser.

'Welll,' drawled Elladan, thoughtfully pulling on his ear. 'We could climb the wardrobe.'

'But we cannot get to it from here,' Elrohir protested. 'We have to be able to jump to it.'

Elladan shrugged. 'It is a valley,' he said. 'We can walk through a valley.'

Elrohir also shrugged. Each twin then grasped a curtain and swung down from their wobbling perch, deeming it safer than trying to climb down.

With their packs on their backs (which in reality, was only a bundle of leggings and stockings tied together with great bulky knots), and struggling around boulders – fallen furniture – and snow drifts – the clothes scattered from the dresser as the packs were made – the twins finally made it to the foot of Caradhras.

Finding no other way to climb up the mountain, the twins rolled boulders over and made a climbable tower. Filled with pride at their success thus far, and with trepidation for the journey ahead, Elladan slowly climbed to the peak of Caradhras. Two minutes later, Elrohir arrived.

Elladan shook and clutched at Elrohir. 'It really is cold up here, is it not, brother?'

Elrohir clutched back. 'Absolutely f-freezing. I hope our nana and ada do not find out we are up here. They would be so worried.'

'Not as much as I would be,' Elladan muttered, nervously glancing towards the door.

Elrohir nodded. 'If we are caught, El, we can just say that we did not know any better – after all, we are only six.'

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door opposite the twins' room. Assuming it was meant for them, both boys began to panic.

'Quick, El, get down!' cried one.

'Get down, silly! I cannot move!' the other yelled back.

Elrohir sat down on the edge of the 'mountain,' then slid off so he was holding onto the edge with white-knuckled fingers.

'Drop, El! Just let go!' Elladan cried. 'There are clothes beneath you!'

Elrohir looked down and gasped. 'It is too far!'

Elladan sighed as he moved towards the tower. 'I will catch you.'

'Hurry, El, my fingers hurt,' Elrohir said in a strained whisper.

Unfortunately, Elladan moved too quickly on the tower. The furniture-boulders collapsed and fell to the floor, carrying the young Elrondion with them.

'Elladan!' Elrohir cried hoarsely.

There was an ominous crack as Elladan's leg snapped under the pressure of the rung of a chair pressing against his shin as his body fell forward. Even so, Elladan did not cry out. The pain sucked his consciousness away and before he could open his mouth, everything had gone black.

Elrohir dropped to the floor, his fear of heights forgotten, and ran to the door. His mother had locked it.

Well, the balcony then! Running across the room, Elrohir tore out onto the balcony and slid over the rail, feeling until his legs were securely wrapped around one of the posts. He then let his hands slide down on the vertical slats.

Once he was safely down onto the ground, he ran inside again and made for Elrond's study. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door and stepped in. Eight eyes immediately turned to him.

'...Rings must be kept...' a tall, white-robed, white-bearded being slowly trailed off.

'Ada...' Elrohir gasped, catching his breath.

'What are you doing here, Elrohir?' Elrond asked sharply. 'I hope you have a good reason for interrupting us. Otherwise you will have to face consequences.'

Elrohir shook his head. 'Elladan is hurt.'

Anger disappeared from Elrond's face, swiftly replaced by worry. 'What happened?'

Elrohir did not answer, for he had just noticed his father's guests. Daernana he knew was here, but here were two others who he had never seen before.

'What happened, Elrohir?' Galadriel asked, rising from her chair and kneeling before Elrohir.

'H-he fell of the wardrobe,' Elrohir replied, glancing nervously at Elrond, whose eyebrows rose in shock.

'The wardrobe?' Galadriel asked, sounding as though it was one of the most obvious things on which to climb.

'I think his leg is broke, Ada,' the child continued. He turned to the white being, his worry diminished slightly, now that his father knew about Elladan. 'What is your name?'

'Elrohir!' Elrond scolded. 'Galadriel, I think Elrohir should remain here,' he said from the door. 'Yes, Elrohir,' he continued in order to keep Elrohir from noisily sounding his protest. 'Stay with Daernana.'

'I want to go,' the boy pouted. 'El is crying.'

Elrond left, but before the door shut, Elrohir yelled, 'Ada, you need a key. Nana locked us in, so we would not get in too much trouble.'

Elrond nodded and shut the door, not even debating with himself as to how Elrohir managed to get out of the room in the first place.

Swiftly he walked down the hallways until he came to the twins' room. Taking the correct key from his pocket, he unlocked the door. The sight that met his eyes stunned him, though he did not falter as he waded through the disaster, following the soft, muffled moans.

'Elladan...' Seeing that he would need help, he called to a maid who happened to be passing. 'Elawen!'

'Yes, my lord?' Like Elrond, Elawen managed to ignore the mess.

'Please ask one of the healers to come to Elladan's room immediately,' Elrond said.

'Of course, my lord.' Elawen moved down the hall towards the healing room.

Meanwhile, Galadriel had picked up Elrohir and now he was sitting on her lap, playing with a jewel at her throat. He was listening with half an ear as she boasted about her grandsons to the other two.

'They are quite as wicked as Cel–' she was forced to break off when Elrohir put too much pressure against the jewel, pushing it too hard against her throat.

'Elrohir, stop it, please,' she said after coughing twice.

Elrohir turned around in her lap. Since Ada was no longer here, he could ask as many questions as he wanted. Again he addressed the white-clothed man. 'What is your name?' He paused. 'I'm Elrohir. You can call me El, or Ro, or Elro, or Rohir, or Elrohir. But not penneth. Or tithen pen. Or tithen pen-nin. Because I am young not old: I am six years old. I am not little. And I am Ada and Nana's, not yours. Do you understand?'

The man smiled, though it was difficult to see through his beard. 'Very well, Elrohir. I have many names, but I am known by the Elves as Curunír.'

'What do your ada and nana call you?' Elrohir wanted to know.

'Elrohir, you should be seen and not heard,' Galadriel admonished.

'I can talk if I want!' Elrohir yelled, getting off her lap. 'Grown-ups always tell me what I may and may not do!'

Galadriel almost laughed at the sight of the Elfling standing in front of her, his face going purple.

Elrohir was not finished. 'Nana locked us in our room just because we pretended to be drowning so Erestor would go jump in a lake. (Glorfy told him to do it, but Erestor said he wouldn't. So Glorfy asked for our help.)' Elrohir stopped at the sound of hearty laughter beside Galadriel. 'Who are you?' he asked suspiciously.

'I am Mithrandir,' the man explained. 'And you are six-year-old Elrohir, and I can call you El, or Ro, or Elro, or Rohir, or Elrohir, but not penneth, tithen pen, or tithen pen-nin.'

Elrohir nodded. 'Good.' He wandered over. 'May I sit on your lap?'

Mithrandir obligingly lifted the child onto his lap. Stealthily, Elrohir moved his hand towards the pocket in the grey robe. A long brown stem was protruding from the pocket, and Elrohir was dying of curiosity. Pulling it out, he glanced at Galadriel. She was speaking to Curunír.

'What is this?' he asked Mithrandir quietly.

'It is called a pipe,' the wizard answered.

'What do you do with it?'

'You put pipeweed in the bowl–' Mithrandir tapped said part. '– and then you light the pipeweed on fire and smoke.'

'Why do you not die?' Elrohir gasped, fingering the strange object.

'You blow the smoke out,' Mithrandir replied.

'May I try?' asked Elrohir.

'I do not think your ada would like that,' Mithrandir answered.

The door opened. 'I would not like– Elrohir! Get that thing out of your mouth!' Elrond strode in.

As Elrohir removed his offending new toy, he glanced at Elrond. For the moment, he had forgotten Elladan. 'I am sitting on Mithrandir's lap,' he announced for his father's benefit.

'So I noticed,' his father answered. 'Mithrandir, I trust there was nothing that Elrohir may have inhaled in that thing, was there?'

'I assure you, Elrond, there was nothing. He was only curious. It was no worse than when you pulled Cirdan's beard in front of all the Elves of the Grey Havens to prove to your brother that it would not come off.'

Elrond coloured slightly, much to Mithrandir's delight. 'I was only a child then.'

Elrohir spoke up, defending himself. 'I am only a child now, Ada.' After a moment, he muttered, 'Or at least you think I am.'

Elrond sighed. 'Oh, very well. Elrohir, come here. I want to ask you some questions.'

Elrohir obediently slid off Mithrandir's lap. 'Can I sit on Curnir's lap, Ada? He will feel left out if I do not.'

Elrond glanced at the White Wizard, who shrugged. 'If you want to; sit still and listen.'

Once Elrohir was settled yet again, Elrond began. 'How did Elladan break his leg?'

Elrohir frowned. 'You already know, Ada. He fell off the wardrobe.'

'And what was Elladan doing on the wardrobe?' Elrond pressed.

'Falling off,' Elrohir answered instantly.

'Elrohir.'

The Elfling sobered. 'We were mountain-climbing, Ada.'

'Ah.' The Master of Imladris steepled his fingers in front of his face. 'So the wardrobe was the mountain?'

'Yes, it was Caradhras,' Elrohir supplied, relieved that his father did not seem too angry.

'And how did Elladan fall off?'

'Well, I almost fell off first, so I was hanging there, but I knew if I let go, I would be dashed to bloody pieces–'

'Elrohir!'

'I would be dashed to a pulp–'

'Elrohir!'

'What? I am just copying Glorfy. You do not get mad at Glorfy when he is gory!' Elrohir threw up his hands, nailing Curunír in the nose. 'Sorry.'

'Continue,' Elrond said, wishing he could bang his head on the table and retain his dignity at the same time.

'So if Glorfy can sw–'

'No, I mean, continue explaining how it came to be that Elladan is in the healing wing with a splint on his right leg,' Elrond interrupted.

'Oh. Anyway, I did not want to be... relieved of my innards... Ada?'

'Go on,' Elrond said, his voice muffled against the desk top.

'So El tried to come down and help me, but the blasted thing gave way.' Elrohir considered. 'Is 'blasted' swearing? I bet it is. Glorfy says it all the time. He even blasted you, Ada.'

Elrohir's patience was swiftly leaving him. 'Elrohir, come stand by my chair. No more colourful words, all right?'

Elrohir reluctantly obeyed. 'So then I heard a gruesome crack, and looked down and there was Elladan's bone sticking out of his leg. Is he all right? I have to go see him!'

He would have run for the door, but Elrond grabbed his hand. 'Elladan is fine. Nana is with him. I need you to tell me what happened.'

'El broke his leg.'

'Yes, I know that. What else?'

'We were mountain-climbing.'

'You told us that.'

'I slithered down the bal–'

'The balcony?' Elrond's eyebrow rose.

Elrohir bowed his head. 'Yes, Ada. I had to find you, but the blas– the door was locked from the outside.'

Elrond nodded his head. 'I was wondering if that was how you got out. I am not angry with you because Elladan needed help, but do not let it happen again, all right?'

'No, Ada!' Elrohir said brightly. 'May I go now?'

'Yes, run along. Try to clean your room up a little, penneth.' Elrond turned to his older companions. 'I am so sorry.'

Mithrandir laughed. 'Do not be, mellon-nin. Elrohir is a delightful child. Is his brother all right?'

'Yes, it was a clean break. It did not puncture the skin as Elrohir suggested. As long as he behaves himself, Elladan should need nothing more than the splint.'

'Elrond,' Galadriel said suddenly, 'I wonder if Glorfindel is the only one to thank for the more colourful part of the twins' vocabularies.'

Elrond only smiled. 'Where were we?'

'Elladan broke his leg because the blasted boulders gave away beneath him,' Mithrandir stated helpfully.

Elrond sighed. 'Let us continue this meeting another time. Do you want some wine?'

Four glasses were poured. Curunír raised his glass. 'To the twins,' he said, a twinkle in his dark eye. 'May they never grow old.'

The End

A/N: I apologise for any typos/punctuation mistakes that may be scattered throughout the story; I was unable to get my sister to look over it. Hope you liked it!