"No, hold your hand steady," Elladan gently pushed Estel's elbow closer to his side. "Now shoot."
Estel let the arrow go. It hit the target this time-barely. It hit the bottom edge of the target, tantalizingly quivered there and promptly fell off. Like all the others, it ended up on the ground in front of the target. Estel clenched his jaw and drew his eyebrows down, his bow hanging by his side. "I just can't do it." he said.
Elladan put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "All right," he said to the boy. "Let's try again."
"Can't we please do some sword work?" Estel asked hopefully.
Elladan smiled down at him and shook his head. "You know we have to work on the archery. Just because you love the sword play doesn't mean that's all we work on!"
Estel's face fell and he frowned. "But Elladan-I can do the sword work. I'm no good at this!" He looked down at his feet.
Elladan crouched down in front of the boy so they were eye to eye. "And there is no way you will get better if you give up. I know it's hard but you are getting better."
"I'm not. You're just saying that." Estel said. He sighed. "You make it look so easy."
Elladan laughed. "After this many years I better be good at it!"
"Then there's no chance I'll ever be good at it Elladan! I'll never have that many years to practice!" Estel's voice cracked as he spoke.
"I thought there was supposed to be an archery lesson going on here." said Elrohir as he walked up to them.
Estel looked up at Elrohir miserably.
"And I'm certainly not seeing any archery going on." Elrohir continued, looking back and forth between his twin brother and Estel.
"We are taking a bit of a break, " Elladan said diplomatically, raising an eyebrow at his brother and nodding slightly in Estel's direction.
"I see," Elrohir said, looking down at Estel. "I didn't think you would have tired Elladan out already."
Elladan snorted and Estel looked at Elrohir with a small smile.
"He's nowhere near tiring me out." Elladan replied.
"Well we certainly used to try Glorfindel and Haldir's patience when they were training us," Elrohir said. "Of course there were two of us," he added thoughtfully.
Estel looked from Elladan to Elrohir. "Glorfindel trained you?"
"Sword work with Glorfindel and sometimes Adar." Elladan said.
"And archery with Haldir," Elrohir added. "You've not met Haldir, Estel. He lives in Lothlorien and it's been many years since he's been here."
"Good old Haldir," Elladan laughed. "He certainly wasn't used to young elves!"
Elrohir shook his head. "No, he wasn't. Not that Glorfindel was either. But he certainly had more patience with us. Or so it seemed back then."
"I think we just liked getting Haldir stirred up," Elladan whispered to his brother.
Estel's eyes grew wide as he looked at his twin foster-brothers.
"No Estel! I am not telling you how we stirred him up," Elladan admonished the young boy, as he winked at his twin brother.
"Enough of a break," Elrohir broke in. "Time to get back to the lesson. Elladan, if Estel has tired you out I can take over." Elrohir winked at the boy as Elladan glared at his brother.
"Tired me out? When has archery practice ever tired me out?" Elladan grumbled. "Surely it was you that complained of a sore arm due to too much training when we had our competition."
"I seem to recall it was you who complained that Haldir was giving me an unfair advantage with the extra training hours I did." Elrohir countered.
"Well I certainly didn't need the extra training hours. And you wouldn't have either if you were any good in the first place." Elladan answered. "Your sore arm was just an excuse to father for your performance," he added.
Estel looked from one twin to the other. They seemed to have momentarily forgotten all about him. He cautiously took a small step backward and then another, hoping to make a break for it.
"Daro." Elladan turned to Estel. "That doesn't work so well with Elves. Where do you think you are going?" he asked Estel.
"What competition were you talking about?" Estel asked innocently.
"Ancient history, Estel." Elrohir laughed. "Although I doubt Elladan will ever let me forget that I lost."
Elladan smiled. "I'm glad to see you at least remember who won."
"I'll never be winning any archery competitions," Estel mumbled sadly.
"Well you certainly won't if you keep avoiding practice!" Elladan admonished.
Elrohir looked at Elladan. "Why don't I work with him for a bit. You can take a break. I've gotten better at this over the last age."
Elladan snorted. "Go ahead and work with the boy. But I can't say you've progressed much since the last time."
"You willing to try me?" Elrohir asked, winking at Estel.
"Whenever you feel up to it." Elladan countered.
"Well I must say I am feeling good right now but I wouldn't want to take advantage of your long day of work teaching the finer points of archery to Estel here," Elrohir teased.
"I could take you on in my sleep," Elladan said.
"All right, then. You and me. Let's get the targets ready." Elrohir responded taking his cloak off and slipping his bow off his shoulder.
"Estel why don't you set up the target for us," Elladan said. "It needs to go quite a bit further back."
Estel looked from one brother to the other. "You're really having a competition?"
"Get going on the target!" Elladan barked.
Estel put his bow down and ran to the target, pulling it further back and picking spent arrows off the ground and putting them in his quiver.
"You're sure you're ready for this? Elrohir asked Elladan again.
"I already told you yes. Any time, any where. Now let's get on with it." Elladan answered.
The two brothers tested their large Galadrim bows, tightening the strings, balancing the tension.
Estel returned. "Target ready. Who goes first?"
"Elrohir challenged so he goes first," said Elladan shortly. "You need some practice shots first, brother?"
Elrohir laughed. "I think not. Watch well Estel and see how it's done."
Elrohir took his position, placed his arrow to his bow and turned to the first target. "Closest to the middle this round."
"Go ahead." said Elladan, bowing sarcastically to his brother.
Elrohir steadied himself, adjusted his left foot and let the arrow go. It sunk into the exact middle of the target with a distinct thunk.
He winked at Estel. "Your turn," he said, with his own elaborate bow to his brother.
Elladan swiftly stepped up to the line. Placing the arrow in positon he swiftly drew the string and shot the arrow. It split Elrohir's right down the middle.
Estel drew in a breath. Elladan hadn't even paused or shifted. He'd just walked up to the line and shot with what seemed like no preparation at all.
"Nicely done," Elrohir said. "Now for round two." He paused, thoughtfully. "What's your choice?" he asked his brother.
"Estel why don't you set up 6 targets in a semicircle in front of us. Don't have them all at the same distance. Mix it up a bit." Elladan suggested. Estel ran to follow his instructions. When Estel returned Elladan looked at the targets and nodded approvingly. "Best shot to hit them as close to the center, but this time as fast as possible." Elladan said, looking at Elrohir.
Elrohir grunted. "We're talking accuracy here, not speed."
"Tell me that when you have fifty orcs surrounding you. No time to adjust your footing, just time to get as many arrows in them as possible." Elladan replied.
"Go ahead," Elrohir said to Elladan.
Elladan stepped to the center. In one smooth motion he pulled an arrow from his quiver, shot it from his bow into the first target and then did the same for the second. His hands were moving so quickly Estel could barely see them. By the time Estel had looked at the third target Elladan was done with all six.
Arrows protruded from the center of each target. He hadn't missed one. Most of the arrow were in the dead center but one or two were a trace off.
"Nicely done." Elrohir said. "Now my turn."
He stepped in the center of the targets. He put his arrow to the string, adjusted for the breeze and shot. Perfect bullseye. He shot arrow after arrow, not as fast as Elladan but each hit the center of the target, again splitting some of Elladan's bullseye arrows.
As he finished, Elrond stepped out of the trees at the edge of the clearing. "Not this old argument again," he said as he approached his sons. He said it with a smile.
"Adar," Elladan said with a bow.
"Adar," Elrohir said, bowing as well. "I'd not expected to see you here."
"Lord Elrond," said Estel in a small voice, bowing also.
Elrond turned to Estel and smiled at him. "Estel, this is an age old disagreement my sons have," he sighed. "Speed versus accuracy. The question I have for you is who is right?"
Estel looked from Elladan to Elrohir and said nothing. He drew his brows together into a frown as he looked at the targets.
He looked up at Elrond. " I think they are both right, sir."
"How so?" Elrond asked him.
"You need speed if you are surrounded and outnumbered," Estel said slowly, still frowning. "Killing or wounding doesn't matter so much as long as you disable your opponents from fighting."
"And is accuracy equally as important?" Elrond asked the boy.
"It is if you need to kill instantly, soundlessly. Like a sentry or a watchman. Speed is less important but accuracy can kill on contact. Then no alarm can be given." Estel finished.
"Well said," Elrond patted the boy on the shoulder. "So both answers are right at the right time. The lesson is in knowing when to use the right method and being skilled enough in both to survive."
"So who won today, Lord Elrond?" asked Estel. "It was a competition, so who wins?"
Elrond looked at his sons and then at the boy in front of him. He went down on one knee to get at eye level with the boy. "The one who wins is the one who lives, Estel." He looked at the boy with a very serious expression. "You must live. These skills must be like breathing for you. It is how you will live." He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and gave him a small smile.
"Now do you think you can focus on your archery practice, knowing what is truly at stake?" he asked Estel.
Estel looked into Elrond's eyes. "Yes, Lord Elrond," he whispered.
"Good." Elrond stood, and smiled at his boys. "Now back to it, all of you!"