Santa was not having a good day, in fact, he was probably having the worst day of his life since the time the elves went on strike. Elves! They were the problem now, although not Santa's little helper elves; these elves were big and mean and nasty!
The dark one called Elrond was glowering at him, giving him the eyebrow treatment and Santa felt it did not bode well.
"So who is this and what's he done?" asked Glorfindel, who had just come in to find a red suited elderly gent being held by two of Elrond's guards. Glorfindel wondered if the man was a wizard, he certainly bore a superficial resemblance to Mithrandir, but then long white beards probably made everyone look similar ,probably even Galadriel would look a bit like this guy if she had a beard. Glorfindel wisely decided to discontinue this train of thought before it derailed his brain completely.
"I found this…creature! ..in Arwen's room." Elrond explained if possible glowering even more fiercely than before. He had hold of one of her stockings"
"Was she wearing it at the time?" Glorfindel enquired, "sorry just checking!" Elrond was now glowering at him and Elrond in a snit was worse than any Balrog.
"He claims he was bringing her a present." Santa nodded indicating the as yet unopened sack at his side.
Elrond indicated to one of the guards who rather gingerly opened the sack and withdrew a doll.
"A dolly!" Elrond exclaimed shaking exhibit A under Santa's nose. "My daughter is well over two and half thousand years old! What would she want with a dolly?"
"Ah, not two and half then?" Santa asked. Something had gone badly wrong here. Perhaps something a little more grown up then, how about a nice pony?"
"That's not a bad idea." Glorfindel muttered to himself recalling how Arwen had 'borrowed' Asfaloth. Elrond shot him another look and he stepped back a little further.
"Since no real harm has been done I am going to let you go." Elrond informed Santa "However if I ever find you here again…"( As Lord of Imladris and a three times father he found the 'dot dot dot' threat most effective.)
Just as Santa was heaving a sigh of relief Erestor poked his head round the door.
"Estel's back from the hunt" Erestor informed Elrond." He got a deer but he wants you to take a look at it – it's got a very shiny red nose!"