Author's Note - The yellow daisies that Nadrach (as close as I could come, mellon nin) mentioned Glorfindel "tends in the Halls of Mandos" are for Nadra the Doubter who falls on one side of the Glorfindel issue, and I fall on the other.

Chapter 9 - The Beginning Of One Fine Morning in Imladris



The sun was slowly climbing in the sky, bathing Elrond's hidden vale in its pale spring light. The waterfalls glimmered, throwing rainbows of mist into the air; the stones had taken on a golden sheen that would make a Dwarf drool with avarice. Serenity pervaded the entire valley, as was only fitting for the hidden vale of a Healer Elf-lord such as Elrond.

Glorfindel and Erestor stood on one of the many balconies that overlooked their home. The two were doing "morning watch" as they sipped hot minty tea and nibbled on warm biscuits filled with sweet butter and honey. Erestor breathed deeply of the fragrant air, made delectable by the rainfall of the night before. It was going to be another glorious day in Imladris.

This night would be the grand celebration of Elrond's birthday, and many guests would be attending. It would be a splendid affair, with much food, drink, song, tales, and general merriment. The twins were off somewhere "planning a surprise," which of course had Elrond looking a bit worried. Erestor had looked a tad askance when the two had practically bowled him over in their haste to leave this morning.

"They are old enough to know better," he had huffed, trying to hide the telltale smile that touched his lips.

"Old enough to know what better?" Glorfindel had quipped.

Now the two companions were standing side by side, enjoying the bright sunlight. Erestor had glanced toward the stone bridge, his grey eyes peaceful as he enjoyed the scenery.

"Well, well," he said quietly with a smile. "Do you see what I see?"

Glorfindel turned his head to gaze at the bridge as well. He chuckled, and then gulped down the last of the tea.

"Perfect timing, of course. I would expect nothing less of Thranduil. Shall we go and meet them?"

"Shouldn't we alert Lord Elrond first?" Erestor asked after swallowing his own tea.

"Hmmm.no!" Glorfindel grinned and grabbed Erestor's sleeve. "We can always surprise him with this tonight. What did everyone bet on? Help me to recall. Elrohir and I both said that an eight-legged visitor would arrive -"

Erestor interrupted with a chuckle of his own.

"Do you really think that Thranduil would send one of those spiders?" he queried as they trotted down the stone stairway, moving in a slightly hastier manner than was his wont.

"No, I was merely amusing Elrohir. . . and, of course, our wondrous Lord Elrond. Can you imagine a Mirkwood spider here in Imladris? I would as soon have an Orc."

Erestor snorted, quickening his pace even more to catch up to Glorfindel.

"Do you really mean that? I suppose Thranduil could send one of those. I am amazed no one has mentioned an Orc for a birthday gift."

"Nay, I didn't mean it. Ah! There they are!" Glorfindel halted suddenly, causing Erestor to nearly charge into him. Glorfindel smoothed down his short, immaculate light blue tunic, and ran a hand over his golden locks. He turned and smoothed down Erestor's grey tunic, and then held him at arm's length and frowned. "You really should wear something a little brighter, mellon nin. After all, it is spring." He grinned once more and turned smartly, moving toward the Mirkwood "Bearers of the Gifts."

The two Mirkwood Elves dismounted and bowed gracefully to them. Erestor noted that Glorfindel's eyes were on the sable packhorse instead of the messengers, his blue eyes filled with anticipation.

"May we offer you some refreshments?" Erestor asked, glad that at least one of them could remember their manners in the midst of such "excitement."

While Erestor sent servants scampering for something to offer Thranduil's Elves, Glorfindel moved to stand by the packhorse. A cloth of embroidered green silk covered what looked to be a box, and the golden Elf- lord noted that the pack baskets bulged nicely. This was nearly as much fun as his own birthday!

"May I?" he asked, pointing to the cloth.

The two Elves glanced at one another, their eyes bright with amusement.

"Certainly, my Lord Glorfindel. Though I must warn you. . . " Nadrach grinned, green eyes sparkling, "it bites."

Glorfindel's smile fell, as did his hand, which had been poised a mere leaf's length from the cloth.

"Bites? Whatever do you mean?"

Erestor laughed merrily.

"Mayhap it is yours and Elrohir's spider, mellon nin. Just what you wanted!"

Glorfindel's gaze moved to the other Imladris Elf.

"I wasn't serious," the Erestor said in a low voice. He turned to confront the grinning Mirkwood Elves. "That cannot be a spider. . . Can it?"

Their grins widened, and they shrugged.

"We are only the Bearers of the Gifts, my lord," Baranthor answered quietly.

"It IS a spider!" Erestor gasped. "He sent a spider! I do not believe it! A spider - here in Imladris!"

"Nay, good Erestor. They are merely teasing us. Everyone knows that King Thranduil would never send a spider to Lord Elrond." Glorfindel shook his head in bemusement. "You nearly had me fooled, good Wood-Elves. A very clever joke, I must say. It is too bad that young Elrohir is not here to enjoy this as well, though he would be sorely disappointed when he saw that this was merely a - a - a - a SPIDER!"

Erestor gasped in shock as Glorfindel dropped the cloth to the ground, a look of - and Erestor could think of no other word for it- horror on the other's handsome face. If he didn't know better, he would have said that Glorfindel was truly frightened.

"It is a spider," the Counselor murmured in wonder, taking a step forward to see if the beast were indeed alive, and not some clever concoction of cloth and stuffing with button eyes. After all, these Mirkwood Elves were a strange lot. But when the crimson eyes flared open and an unearthly hiss emitted from its fanged mouth, he leapt back in surprise. "It IS a spider!"

Baranthor and Nadrach exchanged glances and shrugged. These Elves of Imladris were a strange lot.

"Why would King Thranduil send a spider?" Erestor continued, noting that Glorfindel was slowly backing away from the arachnid, which was glaring angrily at them and . . . speaking? Surely not!

"Our liege did not send it," Baranthor said, looking mildly affronted now. "The young prince did."

"The young prince? Do you mean Prince Legolas?" Erestor said, his dark brows furrowing in consternation and confusion as he stared at the two.

"Yes. Our young prince volunteered to pick the gifts to send to your lord this year," Baranthor continued, raising his dark brows and wondering what would be said to this. He knew quite well why the King had told him to inform them that the choices were Prince Legolas', and the Wood Elf waited with anticipation to see the reactions. The King had been very adamant when he told them to pay close attention, as he wanted a full report of the gifts' reception when they returned at last to Mirkwood.

Erestor stood, mouth slightly agape for a moment, and then he laughed.

"What else did he send?" He moved to open the saddle packs, but was halted in his tracks by a shriek of rage from Bastryn.

"Stay back, you wicked Elf! We will bite you and bite you! Where is Naneth Lhing? Where is he?" A small catlike mew emitted from the spider's mouth - indeed it could speak - at this last, and to Erestor's untrained eyes it looked rather dejected.

"Did he say Naneth Lhing? Mother Spider? His mother isn't following you, is it? This is just a baby one, isn't it? Where is its mother?" He glanced toward the entrance to Imladris as if expecting to see a ten-foot tall version of the spider in the cage bounding ferociously across the bridge at any moment.

Glorfindel made a strange noise in his throat and turned to look frantically in that direction, his hand moving to his hip where a sword might have rested had they been preparing for a battle and not a birthday.

Baranthor and Nadrach stared at the gold haired Elf-lord, looks of what could only be termed disappointment on their faces, Erestor's queries all but forgotten.

"Aralithus," Nadrach whispered with a snicker.

"Impossible," Baranthor said with a shake of his head. "He is the great Lord Glorfindel that fought a Balrog on the cliffs of the Cristhorn. He wouldn't be afraid of a baby spider."

"Well," Nadrach said in a low voice, "some say that he is not the same Glorfindel, that he merely bears the same name as that heroic one who died on those doom-haunted slopes so long ago. Some say the other one is quite dead and still resides in the Halls of Mandos taking care of the yellow daisies."

"Yellow daisies? What do you mean?" Baranthor asked in confusion.

Nadrach laughed, and shrugged enigmatically.

"That is what some say."

"But I thought -"

Erestor, who had heard this whispered conversation, turned to his fellow Counselor.

"Glorfindel, come now. It is merely a spider. You faced down a Balrog," he continued somewhat more loudly, "and have fought gloriously for the House of our lord for many a century. What do you fear? It is naught but a spider sent as a gift to Lord Elrond by young Prince Legolas. If the child doesn't fear it, then why should you?"

Baranthor gave Nadrach an "I-told-you-so" look, but the other Wood Elf merely shrugged as if to say, "I will withhold my judgment for now."

Glorfindel swallowed, and then drew himself to his full height. He had behaved in a manner not becoming in an Elf-lord of Imladris, but - he shuddered as he met the spider's eyes- it was not natural. All those legs! Balrogs only had two legs, the normal number. Anything that bore more than - than well, six legs, was just not natural, and the way its gleaming red eyes fixed on him. . . He shuddered once more, then cleared his throat.

"What else did the young prince choose?" he asked, trying to regain some of his lost dignity. Suddenly his eyes brightened.

"Elrohir and I won the bet!" he exclaimed. "I do not believe it. The young one will be quite thrilled."

Erestor stared at him, then shook his dark head. It appeared that Glorfindel was the one who was "quite thrilled."

"Yes, you have both won. But - ah! Look! What sparkles amidst that dark fur?"

"A jeweled collar, my lord Erestor," Nadrach said, wondering if all the inhabitants of this place were as strange as these two. "A golden leash is packed in here as well."

Erestor chuckled happily and clapped his hands in delight.

"Then Lady Arwen has won as well. There are her jewels, something very sparkly and very beautiful. And look, Glorfindel! A seasonal crown of spring flowers! Elladan guessed correctly also." He grinned over at Glorfindel whose brows were knit as if he were in pain. His eyes were locked with those of the spider once more, who was staring in wonderment at his golden hair. Erestor shrugged and turned to Baranthor and Nadrach. "These are wonderful gifts. Elrond will be. . .er. . .quite surprised by them. He will be delighted, of course, as he is very fond of young Prince Legolas." ~Which is probably how his father is expecting us to react to such a gift. ~

The two Wood Elves' eyes met again, then Baranthor cleared his throat.

"That is not all. Here, Nadrach . Help me."

The two untied a long pole from the packhorse, and slid it between the bars on Bastryn's cage. Baranthor undid the catches that held the cage in place then the two lifted the cage from the packhorse's back, lowering it to the ground.

"Why do you do it that way?" Erestor asked, curious as to why they simply did not lift the cage off.

"We told you. He bites."

Glorfindel's eyes widened at this repeated statement, and he glanced at Erestor.

"Are you certain that this is a. . . er . . a safe gift for Elrond? I mean. . .it bites!"

"He isn't THAT Glorfindel," Nadrach mouthed to Baranthor, as he gazed at Glorfindel.

"He is," Baranthor said, deciding to take the opposite view on the Glorfindel issue, if only for the sake of argument.

The golden haired Elf-lord gazed over at them. Were they speaking of him?

"I am," he said sternly. "It is just those legs! There are too many of them for comfort. Why do they need that many? It isn't natural! It isn't right! And the way it stares! What is it staring at?"

Nadrach grinned.

"Aralithus," he repeated with a nod. "Very bad case."

"I hadn't expected that," Baranthor returned with a shake of his head. "I would have thought -"

Erestor blinked, then frowned.

"What else did you bring?" he asked hurriedly, moving to where Baranthor began to unpack the boxes of wine carefully. He opened the lid, and held it so Erestor could see the bottle that lay within.

Elrond's chief Counselor gasped slightly, and gingerly reached out to touch the sparkling bottle filled with a rich red liquid. The fancy label caught his eye immediately, and he touched it reverently, his fingertips brushing the curl of ivy packed with it.

"The Dorwinion," he murmured. "I don't believe it. I guess I win, too." He took the box bearing the bottle into his hands, staring at it in rapture.

While he was admiring the bottle, a puzzled look crept over Baranthor's face, as he *knew* that King Thranduil would *never* have sent the precious Dorwinion. He wondered how this could possibly have happened, and what was *he* going to do about it?! He shook his head and moved to the other pack, pulling out the bottles of "Magic Spider Water" packed by young Brethil Bronaduion. He frowned and stared at the bottles, which they hadn't used, since the spider hadn't awakened until just this morning. . . once he had finally succumbed to the last dousing while still in Mirkwood.

"Oh no," he breathed, staring at the ornate label marked with the fancy "D" of the Dorwinion brand. And the water was not clear, it was red. . . like wine. He turned to stare in confusion at Nadrach who was standing by Bastryn's cage, a strange, rather fell look on his face. Baranthor opened his mouth to get his comrade's attention when Erestor, who had closed the box and carefully replaced it in the pack basket, turned to look at him.

"Another Dorwinion? Surely this cannot be? Does King Thranduil know how generous Prince Legolas has been?"

~No, ~ Baranthor thought sourly, imagining all the terrible things that would happen to them when they returned to tell the King of Mirkwood that not one bottle of Dorwinion was sent to Elrond, but two! A sudden thought knifed through his mind. Was it only two? His eyes widened as he shoved the bottle into Erestor's hands, the dark haired Counselor nearly dropping it in surprise. Baranthor pulled out two more bottles of the supposedly "Magic Spider Water." They too were filled with a red liquid and bearing the label of the best vintage in Thranduil's cellars.

"No, no, no," he murmured in horror.

"What is it?" Erestor asked, staring at him in amazement. "More Dorwinion? Really?" He raised his brows. "Amazing. This will be a most wonderful birthday indeed!"

Just then he heard a shriek, and turned to see Glorfindel -surely that most shrill sound could not have emitted from that golden throat! - staggering back, the baby spider clinging to his chest, burying its face in the long golden hair.

"Naneth Lhing!" it hissed loudly. "Naneth Lhing! You have gotten so big and strong, Naneth Lhing! I knew you wouldn't leave your Lend Laes Bastryn all alone! "

********************************



At that same moment in Mirkwood Forest, the very loud, very distressed voice of their youngest prince could be heard crying,

"BRETHIL! YOU DID WHAT?!"

TBC

Author's Note - If you are a Trekkie as well as a LOTR fan, as I am, go and check out Karina's crossover story: Elves in Space http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=951741 It is AWESOME!

Also, THANK YOU to everyone who has added me to their favorites list! I am stunned and awed by it! You humble me! Thanks again! :)

BIG THANK YOU TO AL, MY BETA. I couldn't do it without you, mellon nin!

Response to Reviewers

Katharine the Great - Glad you enjoyed that last chapter. And well, I think Thranduil would much rather endure his "kingly/fatherly embarrassment" that he suffers under my hand, than what you have in store for him in "The Jade King." Two entirely different things! Yes, you are wicked! Tanglinna was pleased by the marriage proposal, and well, I think if we were all REALLY that stuck on the Elves we crave we would all be carted off by the men in white jackets. *Looks out the window to see if there are any suspicious people in white jackets in her yard* I don't throw cabbages either. I have drooled a few too many times over OC Elves myself for that. Thank you for the new shrine! :)

Mercredi - I liked you idea that Thranduil took the kids into the dinners to keep the guests off guard for political maneuverings. Very clever! You would be caught off guard by those sweet young things! About the gifts. . . well, you can see there is going to be some confusion in Imladris as well. There already is and Elrond hasn't even seen them yet! So welcome to the Confusion Club sponsored by the Tricksy Trio. ;)

PuterPatty - PP, I think you just love all Elves period. Regardless of age, hair color, or phobias. Yes, plot bunnies have a way of multiplying immediately after birth. Rather like fleas, they are born pregnant. I have entirely too many, and I am trying to get the three major plot bunny stories finished, so the others can have their time in the sun, but as you know they don't always wait their turn. As to Brethil's denseness over Legolas' gestures, well, I admit he got that from me too. I am the WORST at figuring out what people want when they start making motions at me about something. I am highly embarrassed about it, but there it is. Yes, I sometimes put too much of ME into them. Sorry about the angst, but it exists in my Universe as well. Guess you don't want to hear about Glaurhunant, Brethil's Naneth then, do you? :( As to mental images, they are next to impossible to erase, so watch what you read! ;) I am sorry that your muse Legoals is such a pain. Most muses are. But you are doing very well with him I think.

Jay of Lasgalen - I am glad that I caught you off guard. That always cheers me when I feel I am being entirely too predictable. Occasionally I have to throw you guys a curve ball and surprise you. On occasion I have even surprised myself. ;)

JastaElf - As I told Jay, I have to have a few things shoved up my sleeves that no one can guess ahead of time. Life is more fun with good surprises. Note that I said "GOOD" surprises. :) Legolas will have to eat a few of his words, but that is all part of the fun. Elrond will get his prezzies soon. I promise. . . or not. No more promises! ;)

addicted - Greetings Fellow Squirrel Friend! Chipmunks, huh? Never seen any in my yard! ;)

Anya - The Ring of Sarcasm - Well, seeing your countdown to TTT made me realize HOW LONG THIS CHAPTER HAS TAKEN ME! YIKES! Okay, now that that is out of the way. . . You wouldn't like a spider for a birthday present?? Why ever not?! ;) Seems like someone in Rivendell agrees with you! So you think it would be an offense?! Really!? Remind me never to send you a spider! ;)

Nessawen - Well, I have inserted something about Laerlend into "In the Hall." Needless to say she was away. ;) Elrond's reaction is coming up soon. I am so glad you "love, love, love this!

shirebound - You do have a wicked sense of humor, don't you? It is a good thing that Elrond doesn't think that way. And yes, Frodo does deserve better than a "revenge" companion. It was a wild evening. Now the wildness moves to Rivendell.

Phoenix Flight - I hope Elrond will *like* his gift! LOL We shall see.

erunyauve - I have to laugh at your wondering just "what will a Balrog- slayer do with a Mirkwood baby spider running around loose at Imladris." We are going to find out! Let me say it now: "Poor Glorfindel!" Bastryn is definitely not as tame as Gwibess, they are two very different spiders! Do you really think they should tell the twins about the spider?? ;)

haz2080 - Legolas is definitely in for a surprise later in life concerning Dwarves and many things! Never say never!

Seaweed - First tell Gimli that he is definitely CUTE, and now everyone knows it, so he had better get used to the idea. Just watch out for all those fangurls he will have now that they see how cute and funny he is after watching TTT. Sorry, Gimli, old chum! You have fans now! So you miss Bastryn, do you? Not you, Gimli, Seaweed! Well, he has gone to a good home and found someone to bond with. ;) I am enjoying Gimli's modern language, and I am not offended in the least by his calling Legolas a "attention-seeking confounded Elf called Greenleaf." I think Legolas just naturally attracts attention. He is an Elf you know. And I know that Gimli would have to stand on a box to get the same attention since no one can see him otherwise, but.;) Sorry! You know I love you dearly, sweet Gimmikins! Also Middle Earthian spellings are good!

Laura - Hi, Laura!. . . Yes, Brethil, it is THAT Laura. . . *TreeHugger sighs and moves out of the chair so Brethil can sit down* Mae Govannen, Laura! You really wanted to talk to me again? I am so flattered! It is nice to have a loyal fan like you! Wasn't that just horrible that they made me send my Lend Laes Bastryn to Imladris? We could just as easily have caught another spider, but no! They had to send Bastryn! But and this is just wonderful - ! What, Tree? I am not supposed to tell that part? Why not? It will happen soon won't it? It won't? Oh. But I am sure Laura won't tell anyone. What do you mean *I* am not supposed to tell anyone? I was merely going to say that B-! *TreeHugger clamps her hand over Brethil's mouth and points emphatically at the couch.* Bye, Laura. Thank you for being my #1 fan. *Brethil moves rather dejectedly to the couch, snuggling the stuffed Bastryn doll that resides on the scanner* Thank you for the nice review, Laura.

Noone - I hope you survived once again until this one arrived. First I can't believe that you know anyone who doesn't like LOTR fanfics! ;) LOL I know people who don't know what LOTR is at all! :( I am glad you enjoyed that last chapter, and thanks for pointing our some of your fave parts. They were some of mine as well! Hope you enjoyed this one too!

Songbreeze the Omnipresent - Thank you, thank you for reviewing! I shall indeed carry on, carry on! :)

Karina - So your cat's nickname is Little Blacky? Cool! I love your proverb. It could indeed be an apt motto for my royal family. I am glad you liked Laerlend's necklace as it is making an appearance in my other story, and she is not too happy about that at all! ;) How are Aralith and Tavor faring in your clinic? It looks like they might have company soon! ;) But Karina. . . WHAT DID YOU DO TO LESLIE?!?!!?!?!?!! I can't believe you left it there! Unbelievable!

Daphne - Well, the wait is almost over. Elrond's reaction to his gifts is next chapter. I really mean it! I do I do!

Nadra - Well, nin mellon. Looks like you became a character in this chapter. So the argument over the Glorfindel issue is over, is it?? Good. I win! :) LOL That is an argument that is continuous in the Tolkien Universe I suppose. So you find TTT game addicting? I only got to play it through Aragorn taking on the Nazgul (I got an EXCELLENT score on that one by the way) before my son took it over, and he hasn't finished it yet. *pout* So you don't want to argue over the Christmas versus Yuletide versus Chanukah versus Kwanzaa etc?? Good, I don't either. I don't think I shall have any problems getting past Dear Bob, Sweet Dave and his buds, or that cutie Orc Georgie! I love Orcs, you know and other evil things and such like. They won't bother me at all! :)

Pseudonym Sylphmuse - Well, there is no sequel, just a continuation. I will carry this through to the end - whatever that end might be. You seem to have summed up my characters in your review quite well! :) It would be fun to see how they would entertain the Dwarves that came to call much later. Sounds like a story to me! ;)

amlugwen - So I was too mean to Aralith, embarrassing him by making his leap onto his chair because of a spider? Okay, maybe that was a tad mean. Poor Prince Aralith. ;) I hope the gifts will cause someone some joy. They haven't exactly thrilled Glorfindel yet.

Angaloth - You don't need to apologize for computer problems. I have had a few too many of those lately myself! I am glad you like the developments with Laerlend and her future problem. . . I wouldn't consider him a problem, but I am not she. She can throw him to me any day! There will be some more of Brethil's history coming at some point. . . yes, I can still write angst. Be prepared. ;)

the evil witch queen - Your pictures sound very cool to me and I was LOL as I was reading about them! Havoc will be wreaked, fear not!

Lassemista - Thanks for the bunny! It is very cute! I enjoy the faces you can make with these machines. And thanks for reviewing, too!

Skye - Brethil says you are quite welcome, and you should just read out loud in bed, that way you are not technically reading a bedtime story to them, but it works out just the same. You are in bed and you are reading a story. See? Never mind! ;) I have to admit I laughed when I read about Arwen trying to kiss Bastryn. Hmm. . . we shall see! ;)

Still Anonymous - Well, have I missed your story? I know my alerts don't work properly any more, so I may have. You don't need to tell me about writers' block. Suffered too long from that myself. *looks guilty* And about things being only another page or two. . . well, that could mean 10- 15 more pages! ;) I can be serious minded and am writing some angsty stuff right now in my spare time. *chokes with laughter over the thought of spare time that doesn't exist* At Christmas I was asked to explain some of the finer points of LOTR to my husband's uncle and his grandson. Uh oh! Talk about "don't get me started!" LOL I went into full "tell the entire history of Middle Earth", and by the time I was done they both looked slightly dazed. I guess they won't ask me again. ;) I see you were surprised by the absence of the water at the dinner table last chapter. That was my intent, though I admit to swaying back and forth for a time. Your review has made me laugh quite a bit, and I am glad you are enjoying this, but I see my response is getting long and with Brethil sitting here at my side, well, I will be shutting up now!

annakas - What is a quiet night? No, Legolas can't live one quiet night, not here anyway.

sirithiliel - Well, the gifts have arrived, but Elrond hasn't seen them. That is the next chapter. Hope you liked his counselors' reactions. ;)

Silvarn Vilya - Remind you never to play a prank as you immediately play one. Messing with Tanglinna is not a Good Thing. ;) You should be glad that you run very fast, mellon nin. Water balloons again! LOL How is your book coming along? I haven't talked to you in Ages! :(

Ithilien - I hope you have a bit more free time now that the holidays have passed. I have finally managed to write something in my spare time. I am glad you liked the last chapter. It was fun to write. I thought I would let Thranduil play the mellow guy for once, and well, with the Dorwinion they will all be feeling mellow, and the pre-dinner show was very entertaining for the guests. ;) What more could they want? Negotiations would probably go rather smoothly after all this!

Tinni - I am so sorry! I am so slow! I won't do it again! I promise. . .well, every time I promise that it my postings seem to get farther apart, so I don't promise. ;)

long under tree - Mellon nin! I have missed you! Very long time no see! First, Laerlend didn't exist in my world until AFTER I had written Hollin and everything that came before - unfortunately. I have written in a few lines in Hollin to address the problem, as well as "In the Hall." Laerlend was born to fill the request for a Glorfindel romance with Legolas' sister that I am writing for Artanis' birthday present. Since all my stories are continuations of one another, I need to insert her. She is now just as real as the rest of my OC's. Somewhat more irritating, but what can I say? ;) It looks like Glorfindel and the twin LOL won the bet. Elrohir is the twin. But I think Glorfindel would like to reconsider just about now. :)

Lirenel - Laerlend - I think I have confused several people by her rather sudden presence- was created for "Bells of Silver," a story I am writing about Glorfindel and Laerlend. She was a request by a friend, so I obliged her. She did come into my universe after I had written "In the Hall" and "Hollin," so that is why she didn't appear in either of those. She does now have a mention in both. Sorry to confuse you! I am glad you are enjoying this!

poohsticksbridge - You sound like me. I love the Tricksy Trio, but MAN! If I were their babysitter I would freak out! Don't get me wrong, I love kids, even have a couple of my own, but Valar preserve us! :) You would like a story from Tanglinna's POV about the, er- lively shall we say? - hell raisers he has known? Okay. It goes on the plot bunny list! I have been thinking about something like that, though it has just been tickling at the edges of my mind, and been ignored for the most part. Erm, I have a question. How did you guess that the mighty Balrog Slayer had a touch of Aralithus? Did you pick it up earlier in the third chapter (I believe) when I made what I thought was a subtle hint about it? If so - Kudos to you!! :) If not - WOW! You are a mind reader!! :)Don't worry. The Tricksy Trio's part in this tale is far from over.

sound of the skies - I am glad that you are enjoying this silly tale I am writing! Thanks for putting me on your favorites! I hope you have been to see TTT by now! I have been 3 times, not nearly enough, but I will go by myself now that I have taken everyone else that would go with me. Where did I get the Elvish? Well, I use a Sindarin dictionary, and a download on verb conjugation. I wish I had an endless knowledge of it! It would be much easier than pouring over my dictionary and growling when the word I want doesn't exist in Sindarin! ;) Hope your New Year has been good so far!

Lindon - I am SO glad that you like my original characters! *happy dance* I am quite in love with them, (horribly conceited and I apologize), and it thrills me when someone else enjoys them, too. Wow! Your reviews were so nice, that they still make me smile when I read them! So you don't think you'll be able to squish any more spiders? I don't any more. I catch them and put them out. *rolls her eyes* I am afraid that I have become a Naneth Lhing myself! And yes! You are right, everyone wins in Imladris this year!

IRENA - The alerts are half fried, I believe, as I have missed several things as well. At least you won't get to far behind, since I am SO VERY SLOW lately. :( The reception of the gifts got split in half, since I thought this chapter was long enough, and rather overdue. So the second reception is still forthcoming. I am slow.

Hypy - Lots of people are missing things! Author alerts only work part of the time lately. I will try not to be so SLOW again. Glad you are enjoying!

Kaimelieamin - You read this at the Trees Remembered? Cool! Thanks for telling me that too! The end? You want to see the end?? LOL Know what? *I* haven't even seen the end yet! ;)

Invader Iggle - Thanks for putting me on your favorites! It makes me SO very happy when people laugh at my stories! Makes my days bright! Thank you for laughing!

Lutris - Bastryn was quite thrilled to be called a "kawaii spider!" He sends you spider kisses for that! I am glad that you are finding this hilarious and I will try not to make you wait so long for the next update!

Venyatuime - Thank you for that really grand review! I am really pleased that you liked the whole thing with "Lord Tauron." That was one chapter I was worried about, so I am always glad to see it mentioned. Crying with laughter! *huge smile* Thanks so much for laughing and crying! Love it!

OverCastDay - OH NO! You've had to babysit for children like the Tricksy Trio??!! You must be a very strong, wondrous person to put up with it! I used to babysit, but I don't remember any of the kids being quite like them. . . true, I spent most of my time playing *with* them, and not just watching them, so perhaps I was getting into those things with them. . . hmm . . . ;)

OH NO! I apologize for the responses being as long as the chapter! ;)