Disclaimer: It all belongs to Tolkien and co.
Story One:
Hiding Places
Imladris, Autumnal TA 150
"Elladan! Elrohir! Morwen! Where are you?"
Glorfindel walked out of his in-house study, one he rarely spent time in, when he heard Manberuon's agitated voice.
"Have you lost them again?" Glorfindel asked her.
"You cannot lose that which does not want to be found!" The angered elf said.
"Manberuon, they are only elflings."
"Only elflings, only elflings you say? Well, then, great Lord Glorfindel, you find them." Manberuon said and stormed off in a small rage.
Glorfindel listened very closely as he heard the beloved sound of elfling laughter. He followed the sounds to one of the storage closets, pulling it open to see the delighted identical smiles of the twins sons of Elrond.
"Elladan, Elrohir, it is not nice to torment your tutor."
Elrohir smiled, "We only torment Manberuon."
Elladan nodded, "We'd never do such a thing to Erestor."
"And why are you tormenting Manberuon?" Glorfindel asked.
"She told us a story." Elladan said.
"In spirit of Autumn Festival." Elrohir said.
Elladan nodded, "She told us of scary things."
"I wasn't scared." Elrohir proudly stated.
"Nor was I." Elladan said, equally proud.
"Morwen was though." Elrohir said.
Elladan looked at his twin then back towards Glorfindel, "Morwen had a nightmare."
"And Morwen didn't want to go to lessons with Manberuon because she scared us." Elrohir explained.
Glorfindel looked at the twins, trying to discern the truth, "Morwen?"
"That's what I said. But Manberuon said Morwen had to come." Elrohir said.
"And that Morwen shouldn't fear figments." Elladan said.
"So she told us another story today." Elrohir continued.
"And Morwen slipped out when her back was turned." Elladan said, very softly.
"Manberuon told us to help her look for Morwen." Elrohir said.
"But we decided to hide instead." Elladan explained.
"She deserved it." Elrohir said.
Glorfindel smiled at the special way the twins had of talking, one always had to be very alert to follow their conversations.
"Well, very good boys. However," Glorfindel gave them a stern look, "it is not proper behavior to run off without telling anyone."
"Erestor knows where we are." Elladan protested.
"He told us to hide here, since it doesn't have a lock." Elrohir said.
"And we can't lock ourselves in." Elladan gestured to the door.
Elrohir nodded as he played with the door handle, "He said Manberuon deserved to be scared."
"For what she did to Morwen." Elladan elaborated.
Glorfindel tried not to smile, "Of course he said that." He pulled the twins close to himself and picked their protesting bodies up.
"Where are we going?" Elladan asked, making himself comfortable as he was carried along.
"It is storming badly today and since Manberuon is obviously otherwise occupied, you can practice your music with Lindir in the Hall of Fire." Glorfindel told him.
"Glorfindel!" both elflings protested.
"Now, now, embrace the education you are being provided with. One day you may be very thankful for the music lessons."
Lindir spotted Glorfindel, the twin bearer, as he walked into the Hall of Fire, not even bothering to hide his laugh.
"I see you found two of the missing three." Lindir said.
"The third is not missing, she is with Erestor." Glorfindel told him.
"Of course she is, now." Lindir said as he put down his music sheets.
"Now?" Glorfindel asked.
Lindir shrugged, "She went to your study earlier, probably wanting to touch your desk."
Glorfindel cringed at that, another reason to dislike his in-house study, it kept him away from where he was truly needed.
"Was she distressed?" Glorfindel asked as he placed the twins down, each running over to the shelves that held the practice instruments.
Lindir shook his head, "More contemplative. She was not shaking in terror, she was more…. disturbed. I watched her come back through the wing though, walking with that stuffed cat of hers. She was thinking more than anything else Glorfindel."
"Or she wanted you to think she was only thinking. She is a crafty one."
"She is an elfling." Lindir said.
"Of course she is." Glorfindel cocked his head towards the twins, "Watch them?"
"Of course."
Glorfindel walked into Erestor's study smiling at his good friend, he gestured to the desk Erestor was sitting at, "Do you have an elfling under there?"
"No." Erestor said as he continued to read his book.
Glorfindel crouched down and looked at the crack between the desk and the carpet, seeing Morwen's familiar dark hair and a foot of her stuffed cat.
"Funny, it seems to me you have an elfling under there." Glorfindel said as he rose up.
"I do not have an elfling. I have a Morwen." Erestor said.
"There is a difference?" Glorfindel asked.
"A big one." Erestor said as he pushed his chair back and gently crouched down, "Come on, little one, we have been found."
"Do I have to?" Morwen asked.
"It is only Glorfindel, I am sure he will not tell your secret." Erestor assured her.
Glorfindel stood back as he watched Erestor reappear. He did, indeed, have a Morwen. A Morwen who was currently clinging to his side, his robe clutched in one hand and her stuffed cat in the other. There was dust on her face and her braids were loosening but Glorfindel was only concerned about the tenseness in her body. She was still scared.
"Morwen," Glorfindel spoke softly, "what story did Manberuon tell?"
Morwen shook her head as she burrowed deeper into Erestor's side. Erestor gently rubbed her back.
"It wasn't a single story so much as Manberuon was telling them of every evil misdeed an elf has ever done. Apparently trying to impress upon them the need for good behavior. Horrid teaching method. I certainly never had to do such a thing to keep them occupied."
"You have been tutoring for much longer." Glorfindel said.
"Ten years, at most. And I have never given an elfling nightmares." Erestor said.
"No," Glorfindel laughed, "You wait until they are grown." Glorfindel walked to stand beside them, pressing a comforting hand onto Morwen's head. "What did she dream of?"
"I do not remember." Morwen said, joining the conversation.
"Oh, now you wish to talk?" Glorfindel teased.
"She knew I had a nightmare and today she went back to telling those stories, of elves killing each other and stealing things. Of elves burning in fires and being exiled. She said if we weren't good that would happen to us and that the spirits of all those evil elves would come for us."
"She was lying, Morwen." Glorfindel explained, biting back his anger so as not to scare her.
"How do you know?" Morwen asked.
"I know." Glorfindel said, "Some elves have done terrible things, but their spirits will not come to haunt you." Glorfindel gently pried her from Erestor's grasp, "And I should know. You see, once I was.."
"Not another one of your stories." Morwen said.
Glorfindel looked down at her, "Morwen, some travel far and wide to hear my stories."
"Why? They can just read them or hear them from others. Your deeds are not that amazing."
Glorfindel stared at her, "I was re-born."
"Aren't all dead elves supposed to be re-born?" Morwen asked.
"That is…."Glorfindel glared at a laughing Erestor, "Morwen, let me take you down to the twins. They are having their music lessons. You can practice the harp."
Morwen's eyes widened, "No, no, I promise. I will listen to your tales, eagerly even, just do not…."
Glorfindel shook his head, "Oh no, I am sorry, your chance has passed. Consider this a lesson in courtesy to your elders."
"Do I have to?" Morwen asked.
"Yes, you do." Glorfindel said as he started to carry Morwen out of the room, putting her down as she started to squirm.
"Wait." Morwen said as she ran back to Erestor, hugging his leg briefly, "Thank you."
Erestor patted her head, "It was my pleasure, now, go with Glorfindel."
Morwen nodded and ran past Glorfindel, making her way down to the Hall of Fire.
"Do not run." Glorfindel yelled after her.
Glorfindel looked back at Erestor, "Did she tell you more about…"
"Yes, come back and speak with me. Just make sure she makes it down to the Hall of Fire. And try to find Manberuon."
Erestor turned back to his book, resuming his seat.
"Elrond found her and after calming her asked what the dreams were about. She could only tell him she remembered the smell of wood burning." Erestor said.
Glorfindel watched as the three elflings ran around the gardens, under the watchful eye of Celebrian.
"Do you think it is possible that…" Glorfindel started.
Erestor shrugged, "Possible but unlikely. If she is who we all believe she is meant to be, then, it is possible. But they would not pass such knowledge to her now, not when she is so young."
"Have you spoken with Manberuon?" Glorfindel asked.
Erestor nodded, "I was not the only one. Lord Elrond had a few choice words about how such things were not just inappropriate for Morwen but the twins as well."
"Morwen may be younger than them, but there is little difference when it comes to this matter. Nor does she seem inclined to learning about the art of war, not like the twins." Glorfindel said.
"She likes to hear of the history but still, she is not yet ready for the complete truth." Erestor said.
Glorfindel smiled, "The twins are not either, despite their airs of courage."
"No," Erestor laughed, "they are not. And neither are we, the twins could get ideas from such things."
Erestor clasped a hand on Glorfindel's shoulder, "Let us go down there, it looks like they are having a good deal of fun."
"Early start to the Autumn Festival?"
"Do not pretend a big pile of fallen leaves does not entice you to mischief."
"I never would deny such a thing." Glorfindel said.
Glorfindel walked with Erestor down to the gardens. As they came out they noticed it was very quiet.
"Where did they go?" Erestor asked.
Celebrian's eyes moved upwards to a tree, a laughing tree at that, one of the few that still had its leaves.
Glorfindel walked over, "Oh, where could they be?" He laughed as Elladan came sliding off a branch into Glorfindel's arms.
"You slipped again." He told the elfling.
"I am getting better." Elladan said.
"I am far better than he is." Elrohir said as he made his way down, stopping as his hair got caught in a tree branch.
"Well, where is the third of your party?" Erestor asked.
Morwen walked around from the other side of the tree, "I did not see the need to climb."
Erestor walked over to her, dusting leaves off of her clothes, "And why should you? We would not have thought to look on the other side of the tree."
Elladan wiggled himself out of Glorfindel's arms, "She was planning on that." Elladan walked over to Morwen, grabbing her hand and pulling her off towards the piles of leaves, Elrohir running after them.
Celebrian smiled, "I love seeing children around this time of year. I remember all the fun I had running through the woods with the falling leaves all around."
Erestor nodded, "Yes, I remember, though we were near the coast."
Glorfindel smiled, "I suppose I have to pick a childhood."
"Though both were in Aman." Erestor muttered.
"Quite different." Glorfindel said, "Though I do love the smell of Autumn."
"And all the laughter of the elflings" Elrond said as he walked up to the group, laughing as Elrohir and Morwen buried Elladan in leaves. "They are all doing better today."
"Yes, after all those nightmares of the past night." Celebrian said.
"Not just Morwen?" Erestor asked.
"Hardly, all three of them. Celebrian took on the twins, I took on our little Morwen." Elrond said.
Erestor and Glorfindel both laughed watching the three younger elves enjoy the day, their fear replaced by happiness and they were free and out in the open rather than hiding in confined spaces, and all was just as it should be.
End, Story One.