The Curious Case of Inked Forehead

Tobi is a good boy

Summary: Elladan and Elrohir, Rivendell's latest 'Sherlock Holmes' investigate just why Erestor always seems to have ink on his forehead. One shot.

XXXX

When Rivendell's own trouble makers (make that double trouble makers ) get bored, things go well...odd. On one fateful night, when trying to come up with new tricks to test on their subject, Erestor, they discovered a problem.

"Tar and feathers?" suggested Elrohir, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, swinging his legs. Elladan shook his head,

"Already done 'Ro."

Elrohir threw up his hands in frustration, "What haven't we done?"

Elladan looked at his twin with a odd look in his eye. His twin knew that look- the look of a plan. Unfortunately for their subject, Erestor, it was a look of doom. When the others inhabitants of Rivendell saw Elladan and Elrohir share that look, they ran (of course, being elves, they ran gracefully). Even Elladan and Elrohir's father, the great and powerful Lord Elrond would raise his eyebrow in a nervous manner.

"Ro, have you ever though about why Erestor always seems to have ink on his forehead?" The twins thought for a moment about Erestor. He was a persnickety rule follower with a sharp tongue, wore the same shapeless black curtain robes, and always seemed to have ink tattooed permanently to his forehead.

"Now that you mention it, El, no, " Elrohir said, trying to figure out what the rest of his twin's plan was. Despite popular belief in Rivendell, the twins were not telepathic , they just were very close.

"Let's investigate why!" Elrohir raised a eyebrow in a near perfect intimation of their father.

"You mean," he whispered," We're going to spy on Erestor?" Elladan shifted awkwardly in his chair.

"You know those mystery stories Mama reads to us about Sherlock Holmes*? We will be like him, except we are investigating a curious case of inked forehead, " he mumbled under his breath.

Elrohir retorted, " I still think it's spying." Elladan shot his twin a reproachful glance, rolling his eyes at his younger twin.

"Have you got any better ideas?"

Elrohir blushed and mumbled, "No."

At that moment, Elrohir and Elladan's mother, Celebrian came sweeping into the room. Celebrian, like all other mothers, elven or not, knew her sons where up to no good.

"What are my two mischief makers doing today?" she asked, sorting out the Elladan and Elrohir's clothes that they had thrown on the floor.

"We're going to s-" Elladan covered his twin's mouth lest their plan get out. He continued for his twin, "See Erestor, Mama."

"Alright, loves, be good, " she said, as they galloped off towards the library.

For many elves( and men) the library was a safe haven from Elladan and Elrohir. There seemed to be a anti-Elladan-and-Elrohir-barrier around the library. Elladan and Elrohir looked at the big, imposing doors and swallowed, tip toeing closer towards the library. Erestor's small makeshift office was luckily nearby the doors. They scooted closer, until they could almost touch the doors.

"Erestor," chuckled a voice the twins knew well, "there's two little munchkins spying on you out here." The twins spun around guiltily looks on their faces as they gazed up at the famed Glorfindel. Glorfindel ruffled their hair in a friendly gesture. Erestor pocked his black haired head out of his office,as usual the mysterious ink stain lingering on his pale forehead, and in his black curtain robes.

"Glorfindel! Don't encourage them!" he reproached the Golden Lord, " Maybe they're here to learn for a change, " he added.

Glorfindel, Elrohir and Elladan snorted at the thought of them going into the library to, Eru forbid, to learn. Glorfindel only went into the library to deliver his reports to Erestor or to argue with him. Elladan and Elrohir were (literally) dragged there by their mother to be tortured-tutored by Erestor. Either way, the trio had a love-hate relationship with Erestor and his doomed library.

Glorfindel asked the twins in a curious tone, "What are you two doing here anyway?" They blushed under the scrutinizing gaze of the older elves.

"We," they said in union, " were trying to figure out why Erestor always has ink permantely on his forehead-" Erestor's hand flew to his forehead, blushing brightly.

"I do?" he asked, uncharacteristically squeaking. The trio nodded, as Erestor's face turned as red as a cherry.

"Actually, I've always wondered that as well, little one," Glorfindel whispered to the twins in a conspiratorial tone. He shuffled them farther away from Erestor's hearing range.

"Elladan, you like books, right?" Glorfindel asked, a gleam in his eye. Almost immediately, the hallway to the library cleared as elves looked themselves into their rooms, or fled elsewhere. They did not want to mess with the combined mischief making power of the sons of Elrond and a elf of legend.

"Um," Elladan blushed lightly, " Yes."

"Alright...here's the plan," Glorfindel whispered his plan. After he was done, Elladan said, in a surprisingly wise manner,

"You're insane."

Glorfindel grinned, " Insanity is catching, isn't it? And it's worked so far."

XXX(A little while later)

"Um," mumbled a small, polite voice, "Erestor?"

Erestor looked up from the pile of papers and books in front of him to see the small, inquisitive Elladan. Unlike his twin brother, Elladan was a quiet, scholarly one who thought in a logical way, so much like his father.

"What is it, little one?" asked Erestor, making sure to make his tone friendly, instead of gruff and imposing.

Elladan blushed nervously, wringing his hands in front of him. His dark hair spilled out of his braid over his eyes. The young elf looked rather like Erestor when he was younger. " I wanted to talk to you about something," he managed.

Erestor's eyebrows scrunched. Usually, Glorfindel was the twin's confidant and knew all of their secrets. Sure, Celebrian also knew if anything serious was going on, but other than that, the twins usually never asked Erestor for help. When they did, it usually led to something bad.

"Come on in," Erestor said, closing the door behind the small elf , taking off books off the only other chair in the room and giving to the Elladan. "What is it?"

Elladan, now sitting, still looked nervous. "I...really like someone.," he eventually said, after a moment of silence. Erestor took a sip of tea, Yes,he thought, they're just about the age when they start to like girl.

"Whose the lucky girl? Are? Ninniath? "

Here Elladan squirmed, mumbling quietly, "Erestor, " he looked straight into Erestor's eyes, "I don't like girls. That's why I came to you..."

Erestor nearly spat out his tea. How could the little elfing possibly know tha he, too, did not like women? " To me?" he asked, trying to make sure his voice was calm and steady.

"I overheard something Ma and Ada were saying about you, that you were attracted to other men," Elladan said, trying not to catch Erestor's eyes.

"It's true, Elladan, I like men,"Erestor said, looking the small elfing in the eyes. "Who is it, Elladan?"

Whispering, Elladan said, "Lindir." Ah, thought Erestor, he's just about Elladan and Elrohir's age. Cute, too, with his dirty blond hair.

"He's cute," remarked Erestor, "I know!" There was a glint to Erestor's eyes that seemed familiar. Elladan's face fell, until it looked like he was about to cry.

"Please," he pleaded desperately, " not another plan!"

XXX(Two Days Later, at the Winter Festival)

Erestor waited nervously outside Elladan and Elrohir's room. He was wearing a deep violet robe, and wore his hair down instead of a the tight plait bun. The only way other elves recognized him was by the ink stain on his forehead.

"Elladan? Elrohir?"

The twins burst out of their room. Elladan wore a pale purple, the color of moon-shadows, and Elrohir a dark blue, the color of the night sky. Erestor offered Elladan his hand, and ushered him away, before the mischievous twins could plan more havoc. While on their way to the Hall of Fire, they remained silent.

Making they're way through the throng of elves, Erestor and Elladan made their way towards Elrond. Celebrian was sitting on Elrond's left side, in a deep red dress, looking beautiful as always. She smiled as she was her son and Erestor approach.

"Erestor, you've come out of you're hiding hole," teased Celebrian in a polite tone. Erestor smiled nervously. "Elladan, you look simply gorgeous, just like your father." She threw Elrond a loving glance. Elrond wore a simple royal purple robe with a silver sash. He smiled at his wife.

"Which lucky elfing are you escorting, Elladan?" Elrond asked. It was custom for a male elf to escort a female elf throughout the whole entire festival. Though now it was less strict, but still traditional.

"No one, Ada," replied Elladan coolly, though he was shaking with nervousness. Erestor felt the little one's shyness by how tightly he held Erestor's hand. "Though I was planning to ask," he added rather lamely.

"Come on Elladan, I think I've spotted whom you wanted to ask, " Erestor said, dragging him away from his parents and towards Lindir who was wearing a green tunic. "You can do it!" he whispered encouragingly as he pushed the young elf towards Erestor, watching from a safe distance.

"Umm..." Elladan shyly began, but unfortunately, he never heard the rest becuase Glorfindel had come up to him, saying in his brash loud voice, "Erestor! You came!"

Rolling his eyes," Obviously," he muttered towards the Golden Lord, " as I am standing in front of you."

Glorfindel grinned, "Won't you have some wine?" He offered Erestor the other glass of wine in his hand. Erestor sniffed the wine suspiciously, and sipped it cautiously. He tried to look for Elladan and Lindir in the throng of Elves, and saw them, hidden in a corner, slow dancing to the music. Glorfindel, curious as ever, turned to see what Erestor was looking at.

"You know they say curiosity killed the cat?" Erestor admonished Glorfindel. Glorfindel laughed quietly. After a moment's silence watching the new couple, he commented, "They look good together."

"What brings you over to me, then?" Erestor asked, patting down a crease in his robes.

Glorfindel gave his dazzling smile "I, er, wanted to dance with you.."

"I would be honored, Glorfindel."

XXX

Glorfindel wondered where Erestor went after thier dance, and after searching for him everywhere in the Hall of Fire, he went to the library. The lamp light flickered from Erestor's office, so Glorfindel went in. He found Erestor asleep on top of the piles of paper, still in his dress robes. Instead of the up tight look he usually wore, there was a peaceful look on his face.

Peaking over his shoulder, Glorfindel saw that Erestor had been writing something. It went something like this: When Rivendell's own trouble makers (make that double trouble makers ) get bored, things go well...odd... He peaked under that paper and saw a whole array of stories about Elladan and Elrohir's mischief making schemes. Glorfindel smiled, adding his own ending, In the end, Elladan and Elrohir gave up trying to figure out why Erestor always had a permanently ink stained forehead, becuase they realized that Erestor was much more than a evil torturer but a friend.