It's been really funny looking back over these first three shots :') Like looking back on a part of history, a stage of inexperience greater than today's. I could never find it in my heart to change them though, as I would never again be able to capture the exact state of mind that was mine at each shots writing, to which they stand in testiment. Ahh fond memories :)
Hope you enjoy.
Chapter Three: Hitting targets
Summary:
Boredom leads Elladan and Elrohir to a bit of showing off, though, unfortunately for them, things don't go exactly according to plan …
"'Dan, I'm bored!" complained Elrohir loudly to his twin. The Peredhil twins sat on one of the marble benches in the midst of the gardens of Imladris. The hour was still young, about midday judging by the height of the strong sun in the sky. It was a warm though not to humid day. Elladan sat reading, enthralled and captivated by the story; while Elrohir once again expressed, like he had done close to twenty times previous, his boredom.
Elladan sighed, trying to block out his brothers slightly whining tone that so gratingly kept interrupting his peace. He turned the page of his book, not looking up.
"Then please, gwador vuil. Go and find something to amuse yourself with." He turned his full attention back to the book resting in his lap.
"But there's nothing to do!" complained Elrohir, a little louder than before.
Rather than entering a debate with his brother about what there was to do or not, which neither of them would win. Elladan chose to ignore the comment, hoping that it would quell his brothers complaining.
It did, and silence reigned over the twins for a few minutes, until Elrohir just had to ask;
"Whats that that you're reading 'Dan?" Elrohir glanced over his brothers shoulder.
Admitting defeat, Elladan snapped the book shut and placed it on the bench next to him. He just wasn't going to get any peace until he could figure out something for his annoyingly persistent brother to do.
"I was reading," he he replied a little testily, with emphasis on the 'was', "One of the great tales of old, similar to the one that Glorfindel told us not long ago. Do you remember?"
"Aye, I do." Elrohir nodded, but then his brow furrowed, "I didn't know that they were written down though. I thought that they were just simply told, like they are in the hall of fire. Passed down from one generation to the next."
"Aye, now they are, but they were transcribed long ago. Probably mostly by the race of men who wanted all of their successes and victories to be recorded, then, if the curse of man ever befell them before they could pass down their stories, they would never be forgotten. Even in death they would still be hailed." Elrohir listened intently to Elladan's explanation. Having now his brothers full attention, and along with it some peace and quit, Elladan decided that it would be a good idea to keep it.
He picked up the book again, but instead of turning and reading from where he had last left off, he turned to the front.
"Look," he said, motioning for Elrohir to move closer. "The very beginning of the book is still written in the common tongue, only later on was it translated into Elvish."
Elrohir looked back and forth from the crude lettering of the common tongue, to the more delicate and smooth flow of the Elvish lettering.
"Wow!" he said, taking the book from Elladan and examining it closely.
Elladan shook his head, smiling slightly. Only now that his brother had stolen his own pursuit did he remain silent.
"Why do you not whittle something, gwadore?" Elladan asked, after enjoying the silence for a few moments.
"I cannot think of anything to whittle," replied Elrohir simply, handing Elladan's book back.
"Something will come to you sooner of later," Elladan reassured him.
Despite their strikingly similar appearances, the Peredhil twins had differently placed priorities. Elladan took an interest in books and other such intellectual pass-times, while Elrohir enjoyed a more hands on activity like whittling and and such similar things, liking to see what his hard work had achieved at the end of each day. They both however took an avid interest in each others hobbies, so although this difference seemed large to they it was only appeared very minor to everybody else. Elladan was the more quiet, reserved and thoughtful of the two and Elrohir was a more vivacious, fun loving, live for the day type. They both shared a special bond, the likes of which no one could ever fully fathom. It was the two of them against the world and always would be, they would endure together through anything.
"Is that Legolas that I see?" asked Elrohir, suddenly. Straining his eyes to get a proper view of the small, blond elfling that was darting in and out of sight behind the many flowering bushes.
"I do believe it is," answered Elladan also looking. "Ada must have called council, or at least with Thranduil anyway."
"Shall we eavesdrop?" Elrohir asked his twin hopefully, "We may learn something interesting."
"Nay," said Elladan flatly. "But I do have an idea that will cease your boredom. Come, follow me! You will like it."
Elladan set off at a run with his twin following close behind. They both tailed the little elfling through the gardens. Legolas however, remained oblivious to his mischievous comrades presence, until Elladan reached out a hand and touched his shoulder.
Legolas spun around, his eyes glittering blue, wide and fearful. He relaxed slightly when he caught sight of his startlers.
Legolas was now a decade in age, diminutive in stature and young in appearance, though keen of mind and possessive of wisdom far exceeding such tender years; as was the case with elflings. The mind grew unprecedentedly while the body was left playing catch up. The small woodland elf stood no taller than two feet, innocent of expression and ever curious of regard.
"'Dan, 'Ro," he breathed. "You scared me!"
"We are sorry tithen pen, that was not our intention," said Elladan calmly to the tiny elfling .
The twins had met Legolas a mere two times previous, once when he had been nothing more than a bundle of joy wrapped up in blankets in the arms of his proud father, with nothing more than his dazzling blue eyes and little tuft of blond hair showing. And then once again when he had been left in the care of Elrond for a couple of weeks while Thranduil had had to run a most urgent and dangerous errand. But in such fleeting meetings, firm friendships had been founded and long in absence would endure.
"'Ro and I were just heading down to the archery field," lied Elladan, "and came to ask you if you would like to accompany us?" Legolas looked between the twins before answering happily;
"Of course!"
So with that, the three of them walked down to the archery field. The two darker haired elves, clad in red walking either side of the smaller, blond haired and clad in green.
When they arrived at the archery field it was to find the place empty, much to the approval of the twins. Strictly speaking, right now they were not allowed to be on the archery field without someone watching them, someone responsible like Glorfindel. But when the opportunity arose, the twins just could not resist showing off their long practiced skills, and with the arrival of Legolas a shining opportunity had most certainly arose. Legolas was just young enough to be utterly wowed by their displays, unlike many of the other elves that they usually practiced with, who, with a little determination and work could probably have mastered their tricks. Legolas had no chance of doing that any time soon – or so they thought.
Quickly and quietly so that no one would be alerted to their presence, Elladan and Elrohir crept into the weapons house, where everyone kept their training bows, and retrieved their own as well as a quiver full of arrows each.
The twins then lined themselves up to their targets, and at the same precise moment, each loosed an arrow. Their arrows flew through the air and both hit the corresponding targets at the exact same time and with a satisfying thud!
Legolas, who stood close to the twins but not close enough as to get in their way, stared open mouthed and aghast at the arrows firmly embedded into the targets and then back at the twins.
Elrohir, fueled by the young elflings amazement at his skill announced almost boastfully;
"That's nothing."
He attached five arrows to his bow and lining them up loosed each in quick succession. They went sailing towards the targets, each aim true, hitting five corresponding targets completely central. Elladan quickly followed suit, his own arrows hitting the targets to the right of his brothers and completely parallel.
By now Legolas was positively ecstatic.
"More! do more!" he begged of the twins. Neither of whom could refuse, they were simply relishing the fact that their showing off was getting the appreciation it deserved.
Elrohir gladly complied making a great scene of closing his eyes before pulling back his bow string and firing. The arrow, as before soared to the center circle of the target.
Legolas cheered and Elrohir took a small bow. Elladan rolled his eyes and stepped up to his own target. Instead of facing it though, he turned the opposite way. He raised the bow fitted with an arrow, over his head, aimed, and fired. Like that of his twins, the arrow embedded itself in the bulls-eye.
Legolas once again cheered, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.
Elrohir not to be out done by anyone, not even his own twin, took things to a new level.
"Choose an apple form that tree Legolas and I shall shoot it down for you," he said, gesticulating.
Legolas looked carefully before choosing the biggest, reddest, and what looked to be, the juiciest apple he had ever seen.
"Okay," said Elrohir, "It shall be yours."
Elladan watched his brother intently, this he had to see. Elrohir carefully lined up his arrow, he had to get this shot just right, he needed the sharp point of the arrow to slice through the stalk that was holding the fruit to the tree.
He loosed the arrow and watched as it steered course, all three elflings alike held their breath. Closer and closer it got. Almost there …
Elrohir could watch no longer, he closed his eyes. There was a muffled thud and a shout of;
"You did it 'Ro." He opened his eyes to see Legolas racing off to retrieve his apple.
" Of course I did," he said, breathing a small sigh of relief. He could see Elladan smiling and shaking his head at him. He just smiled back. No one else would ever know about the moment of self doubt that Elrohir had experienced. It would simply stay between the two of them for ever more.
When Legolas had finished the apple, which had been one of the finest that he had ever eaten, he asked eagerly of the twins;
"May I have a go?" Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, they were pretty sure that their ada would not approve of them handing over a bow and arrow to the younger elfling, when they themselves were disallowed usage without supervision. But then again their ada was not here, and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
"Okay," said Elladan relinquishing his bow to the excited elfling, "but you have to be very careful."
"I will," promised Legolas eagerly, taking the bow and approaching the targets. Elladan and Elrohir followed him.
Standing either side of the young elfling, the twins instructed him on how to fire the bow; which was almost as big as him.
Legolas pulled back the bowstring and let loose the arrow. It sailed easily to the exact center of the target and embedded itself there. Elladan looked proudly down at the little elfling before him, but Elrohir just scoffed;
"Beginners luck. I bet you couldn't hit it again," he challenged. Legolas gladly excepted the challenge and loosed another arrow.
This arrow too hit the target, once again right in the center. However, most surprising thing of all was, the second arrow that Legolas had fired hit the target at the exact same point as the first; slicing right the way through the middle of the former.
It was now the twins turn to gaze open mouthed and aghast at where the new arrow and the remnants of the split older were embedded, and then back at the tiny elfling that had fired the shots. It just wasn't possible, was it?
Once Legolas had gotten hold of a bow, he was very reluctant to give it up for anybody. Each shot that the twins fired he managed to imitate. Any trick that they could remember learning, Legolas could execute seemingly effortlessly.
Each tricksters downfall; never would they charge their actions to another. Though the twins practiced in secret, they had never entertained the thought that Legolas had been doing likewise.
The twins finally gave up and headed dejectedly back to their rooms, leaving Legolas to go back to doing whatever it was he had been doing before the twins had spotted him. It was simply no fun to show off to someone who could match you shot for shot.
Elladan had accepted Legolas' skill, graciously, but Elrohir was having a hard time coming to terms with the fact. It was safe to say that he was more than a little sore.
"It was just beginners luck 'Dan, I'm telling you now. There is not way that anyone is that good on their first attempt. Just no way," Elrohir told his twin all the way back to their rooms.
With a mastered patience Elladan just replied;
"Whatever you say 'Ro. Whatever you say …"
Awwwhhh :) I love the fact that Estel, Legoals, Elrohir and Elladan's ages are variable, it makes for so much fun.
As ever, thank you for reading :)
- One Wish Magic