#24 – Filling In The Gaps

"Erestor…"

The dark-haired adviser looked up from his work and waited patiently for a minute, then raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Glorfindel hesitated and scratched his head, then he smiled broadly. "Why don't overlook and oversee mean the same thing?"

Erestor stared for a very long moment. "I…"

Glorfindel just stood there, still grinning, and enjoying the sight of Erestor speechless. After another few seconds, Erestor finally regained his voice.

"That is a quite interesting question, Glorfindel," he said, calling up every persuasive skill he had, "and a very intriguing one as well. I'm actually rather sure that Lord Elrond knows the best way to answer it, so why don't you just dash on over to his office and ask him?"

"Okay," said Glorfindel cheerfully, and dashed out the door and on over to Elrond's office, knowing perfectly well that he was leaving behind a confused and annoyed Erestor.

"" "" ""

#31 – Leaf

Elladan lay sprawled out on the grass, his arms folded behind his head and his gaze resting on the tiny elfling crawling around beside him. His attention was snagged as a chubby hand tried to stuff an item on the ground into a drooling mouth.

"What – no!" Elladan sat up immediately and snagged the leaf. He made a face at the spittle that clung to it, and wiggled it in front of the child. "No, Arwen. Don't eat leaves. They're not good for you."

"Las," giggled the child, and Elladan snorted with laughter, tossing the offending object somewhere to his left and plopping back down.

"Yes, las. Don't chew on them."

"Da?" said Arwen with an inquisitive look on her plump face.

"No. Leaves," Elladan repeated with a patient expression. "They are not for eating."

Arwen's face scrunched up and she let out a pitiful wail. Elladan quirked an eyebrow and he rolled just enough to grab her, then settled onto his back again and held her above him, resting her pumping legs on his stomach.

"Don't be silly," he said, smiling. "That's not something to cry about."

Arwen cooed and kicked him in the face.

"" "" ""

#36 – Sunrise

Erestor woke to a persistent knocking on his door. He grumbled and buried his head under the pillow, hoping that whoever was disturbing him would go away.

They didn't; the knocking just grew louder until no pillow could muffle the noise. With a snarled complaint under his breath, Erestor climbed from the bed and wrapped his favorite robe around himself. He smoothed his dark hair and jerked the door open, preparing to fix the person with a fierce glare.

The door bounced all the way open and two identical beaming figures skipped past him into his room.

"Elladan!" Erestor exclaimed, suddenly wide awake. He whirled and saw the twins, barely past their majority, dart over to his balcony on the other side of the room. "Elrohir! What are you doing?"

"We know this is your day off…" started Elrohir.

"…but we want to show you something!" Elladan grinned and flung the doors to the balcony open, causing the silvery light of dawn to burst into the room.

Erestor winced and flung an arm over his eyes, but felt himself dragged toward the terrace. Elrohir thrust him out the doors and joined him, laughing. Elladan was beside them in another moment, the doors pulled shut behind him.

"See for yourself!" They flung their hands dramatically toward the horizon, where the sun was just starting to peek over the mountaintops. Colors swirled and danced across the heavens, painting a beautiful scene that spread and multiplied. The lights shone down upon the trio, and Erestor let himself relax again when the twins said no more.

Just pretend they aren't there.

He tilted his head and closed his eyes, letting the shades flit across his face and glint off his black hair. His face smoothed and he released a small sound of contentment.

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged smug looks, glad that Erestor wasn't angry with them, and then they sandwiched their former tutor and flung their arms about his shoulders. He didn't protest, oddly, just stood silently.

It was ten minutes later before Elladan grinned at his twin on the other side of Erestor. "Do you think he's asleep standing up?" he asked with a wink, and then received an elbow in the side from Erestor for his impudence.

"" "" ""

#56 – Snow

"I hate snow," Erestor announced at random, glaring out the window at the falling flakes.

Glorfindel glanced over, not exactly surprised. "Why is that?" he asked cheerily.

"Because it's wet, and it always messes up my robes," groused the adviser.

"That's all?"

"Do I need another explanation?" Erestor looked annoyed, and he tugged the corners of his cloak tighter around himself, though he certainly didn't feel the cold.

Glorfindel hummed and took a sip out of the cup of hot tea he was holding. "No, I just thought it might be something more reasonable."

Erestor shot him an exasperated look. "Reasonable? Why would –"

"Oh, don't even," Glorfindel interrupted. "You are the most reasonable person I know, and that includes Elrond and other certain people who live in Lothlórien."

Sniffing in irritation, Erestor turned his gaze back to the window.

"It's not a compliment," said Glorfindel.

He didn't duck in time to avoid the mug that bounced off his head.

"" "" ""

#71 – Arrow

"Unca Ha'dir," piped a voice from below.

Haldir, Marchwarden of 'Lórien, and reduced to babysitting a pair of elflings, looked down resignedly at Elladan. "Yes, pen-neth?"

Elladan's eyes were wide and pleading. He held up a tiny arrow clutched in his small fist, and a bow in the other hand. "Can you teach me to shoots?" Elrohir peeked out from behind his older brother and blinked hopefully.

Haldir sighed. "Fine," he said, and reached down for the blunted arrow. It was sticky when place in his hand, and he grimaced before taking the miniscule bow as well. Kneeling, he fit the arrow to the little string. He pulled it back carefully, making sure not to go very far, or he would break the small bow.

"Pull it back like this," he instructed, and then handed the bow to Elladan.

Elladan giggled happily, and then did as he was told, raising the bow to his shoulder like he had seen older archers practice. Haldir made sure he knew how to draw the string back correctly, and then turned to Elrohir.

"And yours?"

Elrohir, with adoration evident in his eyes, handed up his set of weapons that were fit to his size. "Thank you," he squeaked as Haldir began to re-demonstrate the right way to handle the bow.

Haldir tried to resist the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You're welcome."

A moment later, an arrow stuck in his thigh. Elladan squeaked and ran.

"" "" ""

#75 – Handicapped

"No, stay," Elrond instructed his wife when they were both woken by a scream that echoed through the halls of the building. He threw his robe over his shoulders and left Celebrían with a blanket wrapped around herself as he went to find the source of the noise.

It was rather easy to discover what – or rather, who had done it. It had to be Glorfindel, memories in the shapes of nightmares haunting him again when he slept.

Elrond burst into the room to find Glorfindel sitting up against the headboard of the bed, sheets tangled around his sweat-drenched form and staring blankly at the wall across from him. His knuckles were white as he fisted the blankets in his hands, and short gasps escaped him.

"Glorfindel," Elrond sighed, moving to his side and wishing again that the famed warrior would not be so stubborn and just take the sleeping draught he offered.

Blue eyes flickered in awareness and moved slightly, catching sight of him. Glorfindel's face didn't change its blank expression. "I am sorry for waking you, my lord," he said in a rather bland voice, but a tremor was barely discernible.

Elrond shook his head and waved away the apology. "The fall, again?"

Glorfindel nodded once and turned his haunted gaze back to the wall.

Reaching out, Elrond caught his muscled shoulder and pushed him down gently to the bed again. Glorfindel went unresistingly, shoving the blankets away as he went. He was apparently too hot to have them cover him again.

"Relax," said Elrond, firmly but with kindness.

Glorfindel shifted and forced his muscles to loosen the tension that remained in them, but it took a few moments before he could lie fully still without trembling. His hands were still clenched.

Elrond closed his eyes and brushed his hand over Glorfindel's forehead. He extended his awareness and let the corner of his mind brush against Glorfindel's, a pulsing at his finger reminding him of the power he wielded – and to use it carefully. He could see the dark memories hovering just beyond the realm of Elven sleep, waiting for Glorfindel to fall back into slumber again…but not this time.

Elrond caught up a current of power and sent it thrumming into Glorfindel's mind, pushing the memories far back where they would not resurface for a while longer. Glorfindel's hands loosened their tight grip on the blankets and Elrond smiled.

Sleep. Rest…peaceful gardens await you.

When he opened his eyes again, Elrond found that Glorfindel laid still, eyes unseeing as he drifted into a far more restful state of mind. Elrond smiled and stood, knowing that the nightmares would not come back tonight, and then left to return to his wife.

"" "" ""

#85 – Parlay

Erestor stared at Glorfindel suspiciously, a fact Glorfindel might have pretended to be mock-hurt by if he wasn't so amused.

"What's the catch?" Erestor finally said.

"Catch?" Glorfindel endeavored to look offended. It didn't work. "Why, there is no catch! I just want you to help me find Elrohir! The boys and I were playing a hiding game, and Elrohir has hidden in the garden so well that we cannot find him! Elladan is still searching; will you help us?"

Erestor stared for a very long moment. "Why can't you get their parents?"

"Oh, they're busy," said Glorfindel, flicking his hand impatiently. "But we need to hurry, or Elrohir will get impatient and come out, and we'll lose the game!"

"Humph," said Erestor finally. He stood and stretched, then brushed his ebony hair over his shoulders. "Fine, I will help, but only because of Elrohir." He strode toward the door of his office and headed toward the gardens, and Glorfindel followed with a triumphant grin on his face.

"" "" ""

#99 – The Flag of Surrender

A Balrog, flaming and terrible, faced off with the powerful elven warrior.

"GIVE UP," ordered the Balrog in a rather squeaky voice that sounded fairly un-Balrogy-like.

"Never!" yelled the warrior in brave defiance, hoisting his mighty sword. His voice was high-pitched and surprisingly similar to the Balrog's. "You shall never defeat me!"

"YES I WILL," the Balrog stated fairly confidently. It cracked its whip and snarled angrily. The snarl also seemed somewhat…childish.

Elrond and Celebrían held back their laughs as they observed their young sons mock-fighting one of the most famous battle scenes – and definitely the elflings' favorite. Elladan's fearsome whip was a thin reed that he had found floating in the river earlier, and Elrohir's mighty sword was a thick and knobby stick that was supposed to have been used for firewood.

"DIE!" yelled the fearsome Balrog and the elven warrior at the same time, and charged toward each other. They clashed, and –

Elladan and Elrohir bounced off each other, their weapons flying in both directions. They landed hard on their backsides, then stared at the other for a very long moment before growling mock-ferociously and leaping at each other again, weapons abandoned.