Heh… I had fun writing this :)

Smoke and Mirrors

The valley of Rivendell found itself in a lazy state of content as the sun began to set. There was a pleasant coolness found in the atmosphere as the late summer heat began to dim with the retreat of the sun. The falls that were ever flowing churned until the water ran white and the valley winds picked up a fine mist as it gently pushed up and over the cliffs of Rivendell.

An early dinner ended not too long ago and Gandalf found a quiet setting to take some relaxation while his stuffed belly digested the fine meal. He sat upon an ornate stone bench looking over the expanse of the lands from his perched balcony. From here it seemed you could see forever and his ageless grey eyes scanned the area, taking in the birdseye view of thick green treetops and shingled roofed homes just below. He puffed absently on his clay pipe, letting his mind wander and roam just as his eyes were allowed to do.

He had only come to the Last Homely House a few days ago and thus far his visit was well received. Old friends were surprised, but glad for the unannounced appearance of the old traveling wizard. He was welcomed in as a friendly guest, but now he found himself secluded from company. He did not necessarily mind being alone at the moment and he took in a relaxing sigh, finding an enjoyable peace that was really only present in these lands. The magic of the elf's kept these immediate surrounding lands free from the sick darkness that was beginning to creep over Middle Earth and it was refreshing to come here after wading through the sadly changing world for so long. Orcs were becoming bolder across all lands and it seemed as though they were spurred by some sort of force, but what was a giant mystery.

His inattention was rattled by a surprised mention of his elven name.

"Mithrandir?"

"Oh!" Gandalf gave a shallow exclamation to his surprise and his hunched posture turned to regard the person who came upon him unaware. Standing the doorway of the house and balcony was a young man. His hair was considered short for elven standards, but it hung about his neck and face in a dark mop of wavy locks. He was fully grown, yet he was still boy-ish in appearance and the delighted surprise on his face made him look even younger. Though he clearly was human by race, he carried himself differently from other men and his movements were silent and smooth, as if he were emulating an elf and had been doing so for years.

"Estel! My... you gave me quite the scare." he said with an elderly voice that sounded far more frail than Gandalf truly was. After regarding the human, Gandalf let off an amused chuckle letting Aragorn know he was not upset, but had only been startled. The slight scold was not recognized by the man. The wizard's acknowledgement was all Aragorn needed to accept it as an invite to step forward.

"What are you doing here?!" the young man asked eagerly as he approached.

"Well, I came out here to make good use of my pipe. The elves find the stench to be rather ill suited for their sharp noses… and so I found this place where no one would be bothered by my offensive habits." The old man said and slid to one side of the bench with a soft groan to make room for his visitor. He patted a weathered hand on the cool stone, prompting Aragorn to take a seat.

Aragorn's chuckle was soft. "Ah." He said plainly as he took the wizard's answer. "But what are you doing *here*... in Rivendell?"

"Must I have a need to visit friends?" he watched the man settle on the bench and Aragorn shrugged.

"I just hope to hear you came for a visit, not that you were sent to deliver bad news or ill tidings."

"Is that all I ever do?" Gandalf looked astonished that his appearance could be associated with such dread.

"That is what Erestor says." Aragorn looked over the balcony at the pristine view in front of them.

"He says what?"

"That when you show up he is sure to be bogged down in work in researching some ancient entity or item that could be linked to both the past, present and future."

"Bah..." Gandalf's brows wrinkled in annoyance but he did not harp on the matter. "I was passing through and decided to stop in for visit. It has been long since I have received any elven hospitality. I guess you can say I wanted a break from the wilds. I made it in just a few days ago... It seems I have to take up some of my time now with a facetious elf who needs more work than is given to him." Gandalf spoke sternly, as his imagination took him to plotting a much needed conversation with Erestor.

"Erestor was only teasing, Mellon." Aragorn chuckled.

"I'll be the decider in that." Gandalf puffed away on his pipe taking out his calm fury with each huff. Gandalf could feel the man's eyes on him and he steered the conversation a new direction. "Your father told me that you and your brothers were out hunting." While his words were a statement, the raised brow indicated a question of sorts.

"Aye. We went to the southern borders to track deer. Neither I nor Elrohir were able to make a kill, but Elladan did."

"The southern borders?..." Gandalf repeated. "Is it not dangerous out there to travel all that way?" There was a seriousness in the old man's eyes and it was no longer friendly. In fact, the wizard seemed to disapprove of the news.

"Ada said I could." His defense was kept casual, but he knew where the argument was coming from and where it was likely to go.

Gandalf took drag after drag from his pipe and he looked over the valley once more. His face was stony and he didn't say anything for a while, mulling over the statement the boy provided. His words were spoken in a slow mumble and Aragorn had to strain his ears to hear what was said. "So he did..."

"...But you do not agree with him?" Aragorn asked. He had finally received some freedoms from his overprotective family and while he had not seen Gandalf in a few years, he hoped to be viewed as a grown man rather than a small child.

"Aragorn," the wizard used the man's real name as if letting it show the intent of his next words. He was not overtly stern in his tone, but the words he spoke bordered a lecture. The wizard picked his words carefully, lingering on certain vowels and syllables that was unique to Gandalf's speech. "As Isildur's heir, I would expect to find you taking more caution, and I assumed your father was advising you to do the same."

The small sermon from the ancient wizard felt awkward and Aragorn suddenly questioned if speaking on the matter was a good idea. He knew his foster father and the grey pilgrim were age old friends, but he suddenly felt as though he placed Elrond in trouble. Aragorn looked off and found a keen interest in the flecks of mica that littered the stone porch and looked at each sparkle in brightly glowing light coming from the west. He did not want to start down this path of conversation, but Gandalf was already forging the way.

The Istar sensed the boy's dejection. While it was important to keep Aragorn safe, he knew it had been a struggle for Elrond to allow Aragorn to grow up as any normal child might. His royal lineage could not be helped for the boy was Men's last hope for a bright future. Gandalf did not mean to admonish the boy, but it was hard not to. Too much rested on Aragorn's young shoulders and to let him wander off and risk death was careless in his mind.

But then again, there had to be some point in which the young boy would grow to be a self-sufficient man. Aragorn was so young in his eighteen years of age, but the ancient sorcerer had to remind himself that men were not ageless.

With a sigh Gandalf went back to his pipe. He had spoken of his disapproval briefly, but it was not his place to dictate what the man could or could not do. That was Elrond's job. He trusted the elf lord's parenting practices for he already raised three children; his twin sons and his daughter who were mature and respectable due to Elrond's role. If anyone would raise Aragorn properly while keeping him safe, it would be Elrond.

Gandalf blew his smoke out in a slow steady stream while he watched Aragorn out of the corner of his eyes. It was obvious he was trying to conjure up some excuse to leave without being rude. Gandalf was going to alleviate the young man's unease by dismissing him, but he thought better of it. He did not want to be known as a nag. After all, the boy was delighted to know he was here and came out to the porch to greet him. The company was sparse enough in elven homes when he decided to indulge in the acquired taste of smoking; he should be thankful that the young man was willing to sit through the stench just to be with him.

"So tell me Estel..." the wizard said softly. He had a witty idea and he worked diligently to hide his mirth. The young man looked to him cautiously, expecting to receive more advice that he was doing things inappropriately, but Gandalf had moved on from that conversation. "Have you ever seen a dragon?"

"A dragon?" Aragorn questioned back. His head cranked back slightly as the remark took him off guard and he snorted before a smile cracked upon his face. "You ought to know the answer to that. If I were anywhere near a dragon, I think the greatest threat would be Ada. *He* would, no doubt, kill me if I was within even one hundred leagues of a dragon."

The wizard laughed an old man laugh. It was soft and scratchy as he chuckled at the young man's humor. He placed the stem of his pipe back into his mouth and drew in a long draught through the clay tube. He held his breath and closed his eyes as though he were concentrating on some sixth sense. Slowly, he made a tight 'o' with his lips and ever so gently, he blew the smoke out. His lips would move in just the right way, carving the passing smoke to dictate how it would from in the air. Before the Ishtar's face, the smoke took on a unique form.

A coiling tail began to take shape followed by a bulky body. Wings produced more mass to the smoke creation before an elongated neck and monstrous head completed the piece of art. A miniature dragon hung in the air, suspended by the gentle currents around them. With a slight puff of clear air from the wizard, the creature began to move as though it were alive. The dragon reared its bony head and opened its mouth to let out a roar, but the false animal had no lungs to make a sound. However, the two watching the crafted beast could hear it clearly in their minds. Rows of sharp teeth lined the fabled creatures mouth and a forked tongue caught in the air.

The breeze began to shift and it set the dragon in motion towards Aragorn's face. He had been witness to the unusual tricks of the grey Ishtar before so rather than be scared, he stood his ground with an amused smile. It did not matter how old he got, there was a certain joy that the wizard could stir up with his own magic and Aragorn considered himself lucky to know the ancient sorcerer and could count him as a friend. Gandalf was a strange one, but that is what made him so interesting.

The smoke serpent headed to the man's face and the foggy dragon opened its mouth intending to bite down hard on the man's nose. The phony reptile swept its way forward, but the instant to vapors came in contact with Aragorn's skin, the smoke scattered and skewed in curling tendrils. The dragon was no more and the pungent cloud lingered around the man before it was carried off by the wind.

Aragorn grinned to the wizard. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I have had ample time to practice." Gandalf said with a smug smirk and he carefully placed the pipe back in his mouth.

Aragorn nodded. That made total sense. Gandalf was far older than most elves in these lands. It would be silly to think him inexperienced in anything life had to offer.

"Why *do* you smoke?" Aragorn asked out of the blue.

"Pardon?" Gandalf heard the question, but it caught him off guard and was unsure what the boy meant.

"What is it about smoking that makes you enjoy it so? There are others who take to it as well. Some travelers that I have seen and a few other mortals that come and stay in my father's home smoke just as you do, but… why?"

"It is an acquired taste."

"But it is *smoke*."

"It is not just smoke. Different plants offer different benefits from smoking it and some use it as a form of recreation. Some as a form of socialization, and others as a way to… escape."

"Why do you do it?"

"Well, if you must know, I do it because... all of the reasons provided are suitable for me." Gandalf glanced at Aragorn with a serious stare, but it was not long before light humor marked his face. Aragorn was bemused. "It is a way to relax my weary old bones, my boy. There is a certain... natural magic in the leaves and it takes the edge off of a long stressful day, or makes the most pleasant times that much more... enjoyable." He looked to the western sky to direct the man's attention to picturesque scene before them.

"How could smoking make this *more* enjoyable?"

"Why are you so interested in this pastime?" Gandalf asked, but all he received was another shrug from Aragorn. "I would have thought being raised by elves would make you disapprove of it immediately."

The bright look on Aragorn's face clouded. His brows worried slightly and a silent sigh left his lungs that spoke of much inner turmoil.

Gandalf was confused. He did not understand how the man's mood could shift so fast. They were conversing rather well, but somewhere along the lines, Aragorn found reason to be upset, although he was trying to hide it.

"Have I said something to upset you?" Gandalf questioned.

Aragorn's head perked to the wizard and the momentary look of misery vanished. "No!"

"Do not take me for a fool, Aragorn..." Gandalf reprimanded and the boy's posture stooped slightly in guilt. "Come now, what has you upset all of the sudden?"

"It is nothing Mithrandir." Aragorn said to try and brush past it, but the stern look on the sorcerer's face startled him and Aragorn caved slightly. "Being raised by elves does not mean I am an elf. I do not act like one, I do not move like one. I do not *Iook* like one… I am not an elf."

"And this has you upset?" Gandalf asked skeptically. He did not understand Aragorn's plight for he was a visitor who popped in from time to time and did not deal much with personal or family issues of his friends. He had not been accustomed to Aragorn's sense of elven superiority nor did he know the boy nearly loathed himself for not being of the first born race. Aragorn had grown up confused; a single mortal in an immortal's world and being told he was different from everyone, including his family caused serious self-conscious issues in the man.

Aragorn shook his head slightly, but did not comment. He looked back over the balcony and Gandalf read the man's reactions better than a book could explain in words. It did have Aragorn upset.

"Estel, you do know that there are perks to not being an elf." the Ishtar said which gained him a look of shocked disbelief. Gandalf scrambled for an answer to help him elaborate. "Eerr… For one... you do not mind the smell of pipe smoke." He smiled.

"Is that all that a moral is good for?" Aragorn asked dejectedly.

"Heavens no!" Gandalf fired off a disapproving glare before he sobered. "It means I can be graced with your company rather than be isolated by Rivendell's residences." He tipped the pipe in his lips to which Aragorn eventually smiled.

"I do not know why elves cannot stand the smell." Aragorn closed his eyes and tested the air with his nose, letting the hearty aroma of the charring tobacco flood his senses. The dry vapors were earthy and held onto the idea of plant life that was once green, but had transformed when the leaf was hung in the sun to dry. It smelled old yet well cared for. Woven into the mix was a pleasant undertone of sweetness, a faint perfume that was almost overpowered by the richness of the leaf. This subtle scent was almost like that of a mimosa flower.

Aragorn blinked the world back to his sights before he continued. "Elves love nature, but burning leaves turn their nose."

"It certainly is not for everyone." Gandalf countered. He blew a plain smoke ring and both watched as it pushed past the balcony's railing and vanished.

"So, how did you take to it?... Smoking that is... The fairest race cannot tolerate it and you certainly spent a great deal of time among them and did for ages."

"It was taught to me by a very old friend."

Aragorn snickered to himself. Any time the wizard mentioned a long time friend, they were always spoken of fondly and referred to as a 'very old' acquaintance.

"Why do you laugh?" the wizard quipped.

Aragorn shook his head to dismiss the question and Gandalf let it slide. He took one more vigorous puff before he withdrew the stem from his mouth and wiped it on his grey sleeve. As he let his smoky breath leave his lungs, he held his pipe out to the young man.

Aragorn did not understand what the gesture meant and reached out tentatively to grab the pipe thinking the wizard was asking him to hold it for him to free up his hands. He was astonished when Gandalf made a request.

"Try it."

"W-what?"

"You have ears and I know you heard me Estel." the wizard gave the man a quick wink.

Aragorn was floored. He looked to the pipe in his fingers with large eyes, suddenly unsure what to do. He seemed to contemplate doing this until he moved slowly. He recalled Gandalf's movements and knew the basics of smoking from observation. There was not really anything to it. Place the stem between one's lips, inhale, then exhale. It was simple.

He brought the stem to his mouth and clamped it tightly between his teeth before he took a deep drag from the clay shoot.

Instantly, Aragorn erupted into a coughing fit which fanned the smoke from his lungs quickly in a ghostly varnish. He wrenched the pipe away from his mouth and turned his head as the choking spasms violently convulsed his body, which only aggravated his senses further. His eyes were watering harshly and every attempt to draw clean air into his lungs produced spasming fits to try and expel the unpleasant sensations.

That was not at all what he was expecting. As a scent, the smell of pipeweed smoke was pleasant to him and assumed it would be the same when indulging in the act of smoking. However, the fog that had just filled his lungs was concentrated. It was not the same arid aroma he was able to savor when the rich oxygen helped to dilute the vapors. This was a dense and heavy exhaust that entered into his lungs. Everything pleasant about smoking odors had vanished. The smog filled his mouth with a bitter spice rather than the expected mild and sweet experience.

Gandalf reached out and used the heel of his palm to firmly pat Aragorn's back, encouraging the man to gain his breath.

"Beginners." He mumbled. "You'll need to start off slow. You are not used to it."

"Thanks for the tip." Aragorn wheezed as a tear left his eyes that betrayed his discomfort. He managed to find his breath and cleared his throat as he ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth to try and scrape the bitter after taste away, but it was not working. He looked back to the wizard and handed him the pipe. He was done.

Gandalf held his palm up, declining. "Try it one more time."

"Are you trying to kill me?" Aragorn nearly spat which made the old Ishtar rumble with laughter. "Oh Estel, you have to get used to it!"

Aragorn looked to the clay pipe, unsure if there *was* any getting used to it. He could see why elves did not like smoking.

"Do it again and this time to not be so eager to fill your lungs with it." Gandalf said. Aside from claiming his royal identity, Aragorn had never felt more pressured to do anything in his life, but he did not want to back down. After all, he did not have an excuse, for he was not an elf who was exempt from this hobby… curse them...

The man reluctantly gave in and brought the pipe to his lips once more.

"Now… Take a small breath… and hold it."

Aragorn did just that. The spicy smoke was not pleasant as it rolled over his tongue, but when it entered his lungs, he felt the need to cough. He shoved his tongue to the roof of his mouth to pinch off his airways and the smoke was left trapped in his core.

Gandalf smiled. "You take to it well. Wait just a moment. The bitterness will fade."

And sure enough it did. The smoky sensation began to dissipate and all of the flavors of the sweet, hearty bouquet became known. His eyes lifted in cheerful surprise.

"You can exhale now." Gandalf said and the man slowly released his hold. His eyes crossed as he watched his nose seeing a faint trail of silver leave his lips. It was not as predominate as the wizard's known smoking, but he was on that path. The man chuckled, amazed that he was the one exhaling smoke and not someone else.

Gandalf reached for his pipe and took another drag himself, all the while watching Aragorn who was awfully proud of himself.

"That was..." Aragorn was lost for words. It was odd how the harshness suddenly disappeared and became a likeable sensation.

"You liked it?"

"I did! You have get through the rough part, but after that… it tastes good… and I feel good!"

"Good!" the wizard chortled.

"Can I try it again?"

Silently, Gandalf held out the pipe for the man to take and Aragorn repeated the motions he just went through. He dared to take a longer drag, but still held back as he did not want to cough and make a fool of himself twice. He drew in, held his breath and when he exhaled, he was pleased to see more of the thick gases leave with his stream of breath.

"It will wake some time to get used to, but eventually you can take deeper pulls. Just remember to take a breather between puffs... you do need air after all."

Aragorn found that funny - very funny - and he snickered as he pinched the bridge of his nose to try and find his calm. He did not know why, but he just felt so good right now. Everything around him felt more tranquil, the sky held more color, the stone bench was cozy and the scents of the earth were more defined. Gandalf was right… this was magic.

Aragorn brought the stem back to his mouth where more smoke was pulled into his lungs. He let the harshness disappear and allowed the smoke to turn enjoyable, then let his breath out. Again, he fixated his sights on his mouth and nose and watched with giddy fascination as the smoke rolled out of his airways.

"It's like I am a dragon!" Aragorn blurted out amid a bout of laughing. Gandalf reached for the pipe and took it back so he could have a turn. The wizard smirked. Rarely had he seen the young man this goofy, but was glad Aragorn was enjoying himself.

Aragorn was working with his best efforts to keep his laughter down, but without warning it would bubble back up. He worked hard to contain it. He did not know what was so funny anymore, and now the thought of laughing at nothing caused more humor.

"You know what is funny?" the man asked the wizard.

"I do not, although I am sure you do. What, pray tell, is so funny?"

"Nothing!" Aragorn chirped before laughing overtook him one more time.

"You are going mad!" Gandalf replied. "Clearly something is funny or else you would not be laughing."

"No, no!" Aragorn began to say through his mirth. "Think about it… there is nothing… just nothing..."

"Yes? Go on." Gandalf encouraged and watched as the man reached out to take the pipe for another toke from the stem. Aragorn held his breath and breathed out before he gave his reply.

"Can you not see the humor in it?" Aragorn asked and cast a lopsided grin at the wizard who was completely lost.

"I fail to see anything out of nonsense!"

"Absolutely nothing is funny, and that, in itself, is funny!"

"Folk far and wide insist I speak in riddles, and yet you are here conjuring up madness over nothing!"

Aragorn just giggled and shook his head. "Exactly!"

"What has gotten into you?!" the Ishtar demanded as he grabbed the pipe back. He puffed away producing a thick cloud that suddenly caught Aragorn's attention. The giggling stopped as his warped senses began to fray. He suddenly found that he was numb, comfortably numb and he raised a hand in dazed fascination to let his senseless fingers comb through the smoke that captivated him.

It hit the wizard.

Aragorn had never tried smoking prior to this and the man was severely sensitive to the drugs found in the shag. He had not built up a tolerance that would keep the haze away and the wizard turned slowly, dreading to find the symptoms that Aragorn was under the influence.

He was.

Gandalf cursed. This was not good. He had hoped to let the young man simply try an experience out of the ordinary, but he never imagined that the smoke would have gone so quickly to his head.

"What have I done?" the Ishtar whispered to himself. Elrond would surely kill him if he found out.

"Clouds are a fickle thing, are they not?" Aragorn pondered in a daze as he tried to curl his fingers around the vapors.

The wizard immediately took his pipe and bent to the balcony where he hastily began to tap out the smoldering leaves. First thing was first; he had to hide the evidence.

His blood ran cold however as two voices began to drift to them from the interior and Gandalf shoved his pipe in his sleeve while simultaneously kicking the small pile of leaves to scatter it.

"Estel?!"

"Brother? Where have you gone to?"

"Bah!" Gandalf cursed for a second time. "Elladan and Elrohir!... Estel! Come this way!" the Ishtar reached out and practically dragged the stunned man to the corners of the balcony, hoping that the molding from the framed doors would provide a miracle in hiding their forms, but he was not confident.

Beside him the man began to snicker again.

"Oh! Don't you start!" Gandalf demanded with a harsh whisper.

"Hello?" One of the twins asked and it was closer this time. Gandalf looked to the opened door before he closed his eyes and prayed the twin sons of Elrond would just walk away.

Cautiously, one of them made their way out on to the porch and pulled up in surprise when he saw Gandalf and Aragorn standing in the corner.

"Mithrandir?!" He exclaimed and rushed forward to greet the wizard. He had no idea the gray pilgrim was here and his surprise was delighted.

"Oh... hello!" Gandalf could never tell the twins apart so he did his best to fake the greeting while trying to act innocent. The twins were expert healers just as their father was and it would be a shooting-star's wish that they did not notice anything amiss. At that moment an identical head popped out onto the balcony and he too came forward to see the wizard. The twins bombarded him with questions.

"It has been too long mellon-nin!"

"When did you get here?... How long will you stay?"

"All is well I trust!"

"Where have you been for so long?"

Gandalf held a hand out asking for silence. It was too much right now. "My friends… it is good to see you." He began, but the wizard had a brilliant idea that would aid him in throwing the twins off. "...But Estel and I were having a private conversation… If you would please..." He nodded to the door and the twins followed his gaze to get the meaning. "I will rejoin with you at a later time."

"Oh… oh. Sorry Estel. I did not know." One of them stated with unhindered guilt and looked to his mortal brother. He flashed him a sympathetic smile, but the Noldor-elf did a double take at the dazed man standing in the corner.

Aragorn's eyes were wide and he looked back at his brothers, perplexed.

"Estel?... are you alright?" One raven-haired elf asked and looked over his shoulder to make sure there was not something he was missing, but sure enough it was just the four of them on the balcony.

"It is like... a mirror, Elladan." Aragorn stated.

That was the most random statement and the elf's befuddlement clearly showed on not only Elladan's face, but his twin brother's as well. Aragorn kept a calculating eye between his foster brothers as Elladan scrutinized him. The man stood there, lifeless, but his eyes kept darting between himself and Elrohir. The pale eyes of the man were glassy and were accompanied by red rims. His face was flushed and he seemed confused.

"Estel, are you alright?" the eldest twin asked again and stepped forward to place a hand on his little brother's forehead to check for temperature.

"He is fine." Gandalf tried to answer for him, but the twin was not put off by the comment.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Is he sick? We were gone for a long time..." Elrohir supplied and he too crowded around his adopted brother.

"I... think..." Aragorn tried to say smoothly, but his words were halted. They seemed to not come from his mouth and he was having a hard time concentrating on his train of thought. "I think it is the…" he halted and curled a finger, indicating he had a secret and he wanted to share it with his brothers.

Confused, the twins leaned in.

"...Magic!" Aragorn whispered harshly.

"What magic?" Elrohir questioned. That made no sense.

"Gandalf?" Elladan began to jump into healing mode. "Do you have any clue as to what he is speaking of?"

Before Gandalf could speak, Aragorn piped up. "It is the magic. Elladan!... There is magic in the smoke! It makes you feel like… and it makes you see!"

"*What* are you talking about?!" this was not Aragorn. Something had happened to their brother or they had returned home with a shapeshifter stealing his form.

"Uh.. let's... Let us go elsewhere, shall we?" Gandalf tried to distract the conversation, but it didn't work. Elladan placed a hand on his hip in irritation and sighed.

His sharp nose caught a distinct scent and he wrinkled his nose. "Ugh.. Gandalf… were you smoking out here?"

"*I* was… yes. Now please! I wish to venture inside. Would you deny an old man the comforts of a comfortable chair to rest my aging bones in?" He hoped to set the tone and began to march forward. Reluctantly, Elladan followed if only to get some answers.

Elrohir reached out to place an easy hand around his foster brother's shoulders, helping to encourage him to start walking, but he pulled away quickly in disgust.

"Ai! Estel, you reek!"

"I do?" The man lifted an arm and wafted his pits to see if he could smell anything, but there was nothing there.

"No! You smell like..." the younger twin went silent and he looked seriously to the retreating sorcerer. "Gandalf?..."

The wizard acted as though he did not hear his name, which caused Elrohir to repeat.

"Gandalf?... was Estel... smoking?!"

"Ah..." the wizard let the air from his breath. He could not deny the statement for the elves were too sharp. The twins took the lack of an answer as an affirmative.

"Mithrandir?!"

"How could you do this?" Elladan said sharply as he stalked back to his brother now worried. He looked into the glazed eyes of his human sibling, finally piecing together the outward symptoms of inebriation.

Aragorn gazed back at the twins who crowded was seeing double, but he knew it was right somehow in his mind. He knew Elladan and Elrohir were identical, but… How does this happen? How can two people look alike? There was a term for it… a 'twin', but his logic was teetering right now. It was as if the twin's appearance was part of a mirror.

A sudden idea griped Aragorn's mind. "I know how you did it." he said in all seriousness. He had cracked the mystery that currently plagued his mind.

"Did what?"

"Became two… A mirror." Aragorn was determined to make his point known. Before the twins could cut him off, he blurted out his frazzled reality in a rampant speech. "Elladan is older. He was born and went to mirror. He reached in and pulled Elrohir out. That is why you look that same!"

"Oh… Estel..." one of the elves said with dropped disappointment. "Gandalf how long will he be like this?"

"I do not know. I did not think he would be this affected by it." the wizard admitted.

Aragorn spoke up again. "Do you think we could go find my twin?"

"No Estel." Elladan said and sighed, trying to come up with a plan to either make this disappear or hide it. "You know father will not be happy." he said out loud and directed the statement to everyone present.

"Well...Hear me out…" Aragorn said and held a finger out to try and hush everyone so he could get a new idea out. Everyone waited and looked to the hazy man.

And still they waited.

"Hear what?" Elrohir asked. It looked as though the man was stuck in thought.

"Would that not work?" Aragorn asked.

"Would what work?!" Elladan nearly snapped. This situation was bad and it clearly was not going to get better any time soon. "You have not said anything!"

"I didn't?"

"No! You had a beginning of a thought, and an end… no middle."

"Oh… I didn't?" The man asked again, he scrunched his face up in disbelief before he realized his error and burst out laughing. "You are right! Forgive me! I meant to say we go find *my* twin and tell Ada it was him. He can get in trouble."

"Estel..." Elrohir interjected softly. He knew he was arguing a useless point to the spaced out man, but he wanted to try and calm his running thoughts. "You do not have a twin."

"I just have to check a mirror."

"That is not how it works."

"It did for you."

"No... no it did not. You do not know what you are really speaking."

"Get him inside..." Elladan cut in with curt annoyance.

They ushered Aragorn inside and closed the balcony doors to try and keep prying eyes away as they stood in a casual room. The wizard and two elves surrounded the human and looked at him, trying to find out what the best course of action.

"We have to hide this from Ada." Elrohir said. "This will not go over well if he finds out."

"What do we do with him?" Elladan asked. He was clueless.

"Gandalf? Do you know how to reverse this?" the younger twin sighed as he asked the question.

"Aside from letting it pass on its own, no." the sorcerer said. All eyes were directed back to Aragorn who was off in his own world and made no attempt to be part of their conversations.

"I'm hungry." Aragorn mumbled.

"There is nothing we can do about that now Estel." Elladan said quietly. "You are going to have to wait until this passes then you can go get supper. We cannot let Ada find you this way or else, I am afraid, Gandalf will be banished from here." he said as a half-hearted joke. Of course Elrond would not banish his friend over this, but the elf lord would be far from pleased.

"So what are we going to do with him?" Elrohir asked the unanswered question again.

"Well..."

Everyone froze and all heads turned to the hallway. A slow smooth voice was floating to them as Elrond and some other unseen person made their way through the halls.

Everyone scrambled.

"Gandalf!" Elladan demand and shoved Aragorn to the old wizard. "Take Estel and keep him from sight!"

They were all panicking now.

"What do I do?!" Gandalf nearly boomed. They were so close to discovery and the only thing he could rationally act upon was fleeing.

"Just… take him to the bathroom and let him try to find his 'twin'! I think it is safe to assume he will be able to entertain himself easily!" Elladan frantically shoved the two into the main hallway and towards the private bed chambers where they could take cover. Time was precious and they were running out of it. "Just keep him secret! Keep him safe! We will head Ada off and keep him occupied as long as we can!"

All Gandalf could do was nod. It was a clumsy plan, but right now it was their only plan. He dragged the groggy man down the hall as the twins set their appearance and worked a calm over themselves before they headed straight for their father.

"Ada!" one could be heard giving off false surprise as he diverted his father's attention. "We just got back from our hunt. Wait until you see the buck I was able to take down with a single shot! Come see! It is in the cellars!"

All four kept their fingers crossed in secret.