Chapter 2 - Archery Training

"No!" Elrohir's normally calm voice rang through the back training grounds. Erestor pushed down his urge to sigh. He would never understand how he had allowed Glorfindel to coerce him into agreeing with this. While it had taken some time for the older ellon to convince him into teaching the younger twin in archery, it had taken far less than Erestor felt it should have. Perhaps he was going soft, living in such a peaceful place as Imladris.

(Start flashback)

"You want me to do what?" Erestor spluttered as he lowered his drink. Glorfindel grinned at him from behind his own glass of wine.

"The others many not know, but I know that you're a master of the subject."

"That may be true, but it has been years since I have picked up a bow, let alone shot an arrow from one."

"Then you may want to practice a bit before you take Elrohir under your wing."

Erestor glared at the golden haired ellon. "Sometimes, Glorfindel…sometimes…"

"I know, but the poor ellon is so downhearted about this year's tournament in Mirkwood."

"He placed last."

"Yes! He's vowed to give up archery altogether. You must teach him!"

"Oh I must, must I?" Erestor asked, sitting back in his chair and getting comfortable.

"Yes, you must. There is no other in all of Imladris that has your talent with the bow. If Elrohir is to have any chance of improving enough to place first in next year's tournament, you must teach him!"

Erestor watched the wine in his glass swirl around as he twirled the glass. He sighed.

"I must be getting soft," he said in defeat. Glorfindel's face practically glowed as he grinned at him.

"Then you will teach him?"

"Yes."

"I am glad!"

"You might not be when you find out the price of such an agreement."

Glorfindel sat back. "What price?"

"You are going to Bree soon, are you not?"

"Yeesss…" Glorfindel said slowly.

"I want four bottles of their best Elderberry wine."

"What?" Now it was Glorfindel's turn to splutter. "But that will cost me a whole months pay!"

"That is the price."

"And you will not teach the ellon otherwise?"

"Of course I will teach him! However, if he's anything like his twin, I'm going to need a good drink at the end of the day. You will owe me those bottles before I'm done with him."

Glorfindel's boisterous laughter echoed around the small room. Erestor's cat, Aranel, opened a lazy eye from her seat on the window edge and glared at them in bored contempt. She was used to the odd behavior of both, but still felt it rude of them to wake her in such a crude manner. Yawning though, she turned around and faced her back to them, she had better things to do then indulge them.

"All right, all right," Glorfindel said, "four bottles of Elderberry wine it is then."

(End flashback)

"Yes, you will," Erestor said, calm as he folded his arms across his chest, eyes narrowed. He had been trying to teach Elrohir for over two weeks now and every lesson went almost exactly as this one was. Elrohir would either argue with Erestor, pout, or storm off. Erestor was getting tired of the whole thing to be honest.

"No!" Elrohir said and threw his bow down in emphasis. "I have been at this for over an hour already and I still cannot hit a leaf! It is impossible, you're impossible!"

Erestor let Elrohir's rant continue for a minute more before he strode over to the elf. The young ellon took a nervous step back, as if he expected Erestor to strike him, but Erestor only picked the discarded bow up.

"Give me one of your arrows."

"What?"

"Give me one of your arrows," Erestor commanded. Cowed by his tone Elrohir complied and handed one over.

"Now, you must remember to keep your muscles loose," Erestor fit the arrow into the bow with practiced ease. "Then sight and line up your target, the old oak."

"It's thirty feet away!"

"An easy feat for an elf."

Elrohir humphed in reply.

"Listen," Erestor said, "you pick a leaf that is falling from the top, follow it down with your arrow point. Once it's past the branches you sight one more time, take a deep breath in, and then release it, releasing the arrow at the same time. Make sure you aim a few inches lower than the leaf actually is."

"Easier said than done," Elrohir mumbled. Erestor let him, the ellon would learn soon enough, and focused on his target. It was autumn and the old tree was getting rid of its leaves as quick as it could, so picking a leaf was not hard. Once he had a leaf in sight, Erestor took a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing his arrow at the same time.

The slim arrow cut through the air like a hawk to its prey and struck its intended target, pinning it to the oak. Erestor didn't have to look at Elrohir to know the ellon had a stunned expression plastered on his face. He smirked as he lowered the bow.

"You can close your mouth now," Erestor said. Elrohir strode over to the oak tree and examined the pinned leaf. He glanced back at Erestor with wide eyes.

"You hit it dead center!" he said as he turned back towards the arrow.

"Indeed."

"B-but how?"

"Practice."

Erestor watched Elrohir's broad shoulders slump as he realized his teacher was, in fact, not asking the impossible of him and that Erestor did know what he was talking about. Erestor walked over to the humbled ellon and handed him his bow back.

"Practice," he said and walked back towards the living buildings. He did not look back once, yet he knew by the sounds of the bowstring that Elrohir was doing just as he had asked. Good. Now the ellon would stand a chance in next year's tournament.

As it was, Elrohir not only stood a chance, he finished second place in the next year's tournament, losing only by a centimeter to his best friend, Legolas. Erestor could not have been prouder.

"Watch the left! Close ranks and ready yourselves!" Elrohir heard the commander order as he notched an arrow in his bow. He was part of a twelve membered group. Their targets? Fifteen, maybe more, orcs. Objective? Eliminate them before they got too close to Imladris. Each member had been handpicked by the commander for their abilities; some for their swordsmanship, others for their archery. Elrohir had been picked because of the latter. It was well known in Imladris and Mirkwood that Elrohir was one of the best marksmen, though not many knew it was because of Erestor.

"Archers to the ready!"

Elrohir drew his bow string back, his teacher's words echoing in his mind.

Remember to keep your muscles loose.

He sighted his first target.

Take a deep breath in, and then release it, releasing the arrow at the same time.

Elrohir shot and an orc fell dead.

"Reload!"

Another arrow, another dead orc. Soon there were only the elves walking about. Elrohir plucked his arrows from the bodies. As gruesome as the task was, he knew that it was best not to waste any arrow – yet another lesson from Erestor. They then piled the orc bodies and burned them.

"Form ranks! We march for home!" the commander said. In an instant there was a row of perfectly lined elves. The commander gave them all a glance over before nodding and waving them forward. Elrohir drew in a deep breath once they were far enough away from the battle ground. The autumn air was crisp and cool.

"You did well today, Elrohir," one of his companions said from beside him. Elrohir grinned.

"Thank you. You also did well."

"So, I heard you placed first in this year's archery tournament."

"Yes, though only just. Legolas gave me quite the run for it."

Soft laughter rippled through the ranks at this before another ellon spoke up. "I've been meaning to ask you for some time now, who was it that taught you the bow?"

"Yes," another ellon echoed, "I asked Master Grandiel, but he denied teaching you."

Elrohir smiled. He knew the shock that would accompany his answer. "Erestor."

Silence and then: "What!?"

"Surely you jest!"

"Erestor never leaves the library, let alone teaches others!"

Elrohir laughed. "He is still my teacher. Thank the Valar he did not give up on me in the beginning."

"You were a hard student?"

"Very. I must have questioned everything he said for two weeks before he finally put me in my place."

Silence again.

"It is still odd," one ellon said and the others murmured their agreement. Elrohir just shook his head. He was glad Erestor had decided to teach him. He thanked Eru every time he drew his bow in battle for giving him Erestor as a teacher. Had it not been for the advanced training, Elrohir was sure there would have been many more times he would have been injured.

And, despite what the others believed, Elrohir knew he had seen the faint beginning of a smile on Erestor's when he'd told him about the tournament this year, though all the ellon had said was 'that is good'. In just those few words, Elrohir felt the pride that usually came when he had told his father some great accomplishment of his.