Elrond looked solemnly at his sons. "I am leaving to go Orc-hunting. I have heard that these fell beasts are once again troubling our lands."
Their bright grey eyes lit up like stars. "Can we go?!"
"Absolutely not!" was Elrond's frantic reply. He composed himself and smiled forebodingly at his crestfallen sons. "You have a more important job. Since Lady Gilraen is ill, you must watch Estel. And if I see one scratch of neglect…." He ended, leaving the sentence trailing into warning.
A look of utter panic and fear was smitten across their handsome, horrified features. "Us?" they chorused with trembling voices.
Elrond gave them the glare of doom, and they were silent.
An hour later, Elrohir and Elladan watched their father and his companions leave. A gloom was settled up them and the warm gold of the sunlight mocked them.
"Come on." sighed Elrohir, trailing dejectedly through the gates.
A dead weight slammed into his leg and he stumbled, biting his lip to prevent some colorful words.
A dark-curled child gazed adoringly up at them, grey eyes shining. "Ada said you were going t'take care of me!"
Elrohir truly loved the child, but the sheer amount of energy bundled in that little body was enough to bring despair even to immortals.
"Yes Estel!" he returned, not feeling quite so enthused as the little one. "What do you want to do?"
"Hide from 'Restor, 'cause he's trying t'teach me history." declared Estel.
The child still lisped the letter e, reflected Elladan. He didn't much like being called 'Lladan.
Elrohir grabbed his twin's sleeve. "Come on, pay attention."
Elladan sighed, saw Estel bolting forward and dashed after him.
"Glorfindel! Help me!" screamed Estel. "'Restor's going to teach me history!"
"Prepare to die!" the golden-haired Elf shouted back.
Elladan seized Estel's hand and grinned charmingly at Erestor. The black-haired Elf was carrying a huge stack of books, which he promptly shoved into Elrohir's arms and stalked off.
Elrohir peered over the top. "Uh…I guess we're going to teach you history, Estel."
A resounding shriek of "Noooooooooooo!" echoed through Imladris.
An hour later, they had gotten the flailing child and the books to a silent room. After having locked the door and barred the windows Elladan sat down on the chair, and let Elrohir do the teaching. His twin was not pleased.
Elrohir cleared his throat and handed Estel the text book. "I will read." he said, flipping through the pages of the other book. "We will start with the Oath of Fëanor."
Estel glowered at his text-book. 'Lrohir droned on and on and on. Sunlight leaked through the windows. His book was so boring. Suddenly he brightened as brilliance came to him. It needed pictures! That would make it interesting.
Elrohir looked up after an hour of reading and promptly panicked. Elladan was asleep. Estel seemed interested. That was not good!
"Estel, let me see that." he demanded and flipped through the pages. "What is this?" he asked, pointing at a page that had what looked like seven weasels doing a jig. They appeared to be holding chunky swords and dancing around a boat with torches.
"That's the sons of Fëanor taking an oath at t'burning of the Teler ships." said Estel proudly.
"Teleri." corrected Elrohir, and ignoring how historically inaccurate it was, looked at another page. "And this?"
"That's Idril an' Tuor sailing the seas to Valimar."
Elrohir could not make out any such thing, not matter how much he flipped the book around and squinted. "And this?"
"That's Sauron an' Huan fighting." announced Estel. He snatched the book from Elrohir and pointed at the wobbly circle. "That's them fighting." He pointed to a fish-like object lying sprawled on the paper, with long hair. "An' that's Lúthien fainting."
Elrohir choked.
