Chapter 6: Many Meetings
"Why can't you do this, 'Ro?"
Elrohir smiled, but didn't turn around. "Because, Elladan, you are supposed to do it."
There was the distinctive thump of a pile of Adar's letters being slammed down, and the annoyed reply. "That is a lie."
"Not at all, 'Dan," Elrohir said calmly, touching the brush gently to the canvas, dotting his painting with blue. "Ada specifically said that one of us should do the letters, not both of us."
"Then why couldn't that one be you? You're much better at it, anyway!"
Elrohir cleaned the blue off his brush, then dipped it in the green. "I have better things to do, gwador-nîn."
A sigh and footsteps, then Elladan was standing next to him, watching as he painted. "When are you going to show it to them, 'Ro?"
"In due time." Elrohir looked up from the canvas long enough to grin at 'Dan. "Preferably when it's finished."
"And when will that be?"
"Are we getting impatient?" Elrohir asked, unable to keep the teasing out of his voice.
"Not at all," 'Dan said, nonchalantly. "I would be robbing two people of their position."
Elrohir set down his brush and turned around to face 'Dan. "So you have noticed, then." It had not been difficult to see the similarity, once old memories had been stirred, but Elladan could still be a little unobservant at times. Or, as 'Dan preferred to put it, Elrohir was much too observant.
"Of course I have," Elladan replied. He bent down next to Elrohir and gently traced the half-painted figures on the canvas, pausing at the pair of nearly-identical characters. "It is impossible not to notice such impatience in the House of Elrond," he said, imitating the lordly voice Glorfindel used. His impersonation was strangely accurate.
Elrohir shook his head in amusement. He stood up, pulling 'Dan up with him. "Come. We will have gotten nowhere by evening at this rate." He covered the large canvas with a white cloth, careful to make sure that not a hint of what was underneath showed through. He approached Adar's desk and picked up the stack of letters that 'Dan had abandoned. Elladan approached the desk reluctantly.
"Why must they all be so dull, 'Ro?" he asked dejectedly, gesturing to the pile of unread letters. "How does Ada survive?"
"He only reads the important ones, 'Dan; the interesting ones," Elrohir explained. "All the dull ones are left to Erestor–"
"And to us."
Estel was rather relieved to sit down in the Hall of Fire after lunch. While he had certainly experienced more exhausting mornings with Glorfindel, being trained by Legolas was another matter entirely. He was clearly not made to be a trainer; he lacked Glorfindel's ability to tell instantly what was wrong with someone else's form and correct it. Instead, Estel had shot arrow after arrow, and then Legolas would shoot, but while Estel's shots were often a little wide, Legolas' never missed the mark. And yet, neither of them could see anything different in the other's form or aim.
Glorfindel had been called, then Adar, then, because both Legolas and Estel were getting frustrated, Erestor had been called out of his study as well, just for good measure. By then it had been nearly midday, and Estel was at the end of his patience. However, after a short while, it had been Legolas who had decided they stop, saying that he was getting annoyed and they would not be getting anywhere. Estel was quite sure Legolas had lied about that–elves seemed to have an endless supply of patience–but he had been glad nonetheless. Now, there was nothing he wanted more than to sit in the near-empty hall and have some peace.
There was, unfortunately, no chance of that.
The moment he sat down, a familiar elf sat down next to him as well. He groaned. "'Ro, can you not give me some peace?"
Yet another elf sat down at his other side. "Peace does not suit you, tithen gwador," Elladan said lightly.
Elrohir chuckled. "Estel, you would only grow more frustrated alone."
Estel did not answer them, choosing instead to hide his head in his hands. They had eaten together; the twins knew fully well he wanted to be alone. For some reason, however, they seemed unable to leave him be. There was silence between them for a while. Then Elrohir stood up and walked towards the large tapestry that hung along one wall. Estel sighed softly and pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them. The warmth of the Hall had already started affecting him. He watched as 'Ro, who was always eager to examine the paintings and tapestries in Imladris, traced the delicate pictures with his fingertips.
The tapestry showed the tale of the Silmarilli, starting with a depiction of Valinor and the Two Trees at its left end, and ending with the night sky, where Eärendil the Mariner rode his ship, with the light of the Silmaril shining from its prow, and Elwing waited for him to return.
"I would never tire of this place."
Estel started, not having heard Legolas come up and sit where Elrohir had been. Legolas shrugged and smiled at his rather obvious astonishment, then glanced towards Elrohir as well. "He still enjoys the tapestries," Legolas said quietly.
"He does," Estel said, also keeping his voice low. It was something you could not help when you were in the Hall of Fire, unless you were singing or chanting.
Legolas chuckled. "It is understandable, though. Eärendil and Elwing. Their Daeradar and Daernaneth."
Estel nodded, but he put the thought out of his mind quickly. He tried not to think about 'Dan and 'Ro and Ada as they had been in the years past; it was more than a little overwhelming knowing that they were pieces of tales from the distant past; part of the times and stories about which songs were sung and murals were painted. The thought that he was just about fifteen made it seem even larger.
He pushed the thoughts out of his mind quickly. He had done enough today, there was no need to dwell on difficult matters as well. He decided to speak. "Elladan."
"Mae?" asked 'Dan, clearly roused from his own thoughts.
"Oropher was Legolas' grandfather, correct?" He phrased it as a question because he knew what it would lead to; he was asking for it because it was the best way to spend the time.
Elladan understood his intentions perfectly. He grinned. "Ask him," he said, gesturing in Legolas' direction.
Estel turned to Legolas questioningly.
Legolas sighed. "You residents of Imladris and your love of tales," he muttered, but he was smiling. Catching what they were saying, Elrohir had returned to join them, and out of habit, everyone shifted so that they were in a circle, facing one another. "Very well, then. I suppose I cannot deny."
Estel listened intently to the familiar story, exhaustion now gone. But before the tale being spun could fully pull him into its grasp, he realised something. Strangely enough, he would have been frustrated alone.
A/N: So, more than sorting out the system, it was re-uploading the chapters that was the most tiresome for me! Anyway, as you may have noticed, the chapters now have titles (yay! I am hopeless at titles, though, so suggestions will be cuddled, quite literally) and it's indicated at the beginning of the first chapter that this is Part I, set in T.A. 2946. I've also combined Chapters 3 & 4, so now it's a slightly more readable length. Two or three more chapters, and then this part is complete!
As always, le hannon to those reading & reviewing; please do not hesitate to criticise or point out errors. I am also still looking for a Beta... and I have no idea where to find one, so heh. Anybody willing to Beta/recommend someone, please, please do so!
