Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page. Some dialogue may be taken
directly from various books.
Chapter Nine
Tylendal struggled violently with his bonds. He had to get free and find Elladan, and they had to get away.
So intent on his thoughts, it came as a surprise when his right hand slipped free. Looking down, he realized that the blood that ran from his wound had soaked the rope around his wrist, making it easier to slip out of. With a twist, he brought his hand before him and began untying his bonds.
Once free, he surveyed the room. There was one door, and it was out of the question to use it, since he did not know what was beyond it, and the window was small and barred. Any amount of working on it to open it would be too noisy for Tylendal's mind.
Scanning the contents of the room, he saw boxes piled up around the area and shelves full of odds and ends. A storage room. Examining the wall, it was about twelve paces long and eight paces across, and that was shortened from the clutter.
Digging through the nearest box, he pulled out a length of cord. Suddenly an idea popped into his head, and he smiled. Sorting through the clutter, he pulled out other things that may prove useful. With a wicked smile, he got to work.
~*~*~*
"So how did you get lost in Mirkwood?" Gandalf asked, smiling at the young Elves. Gwahir preened one large wing, and a loose feather drifted down. Legolas snatched it up before Elrohir could grab it.
"We were attacked by spiders while fishing. One thing led to another, and we were split from our friends and we do not know where they are." Legolas said. They had told Gandalf who they were, and now they launched into the full story.
Gandalf listened to it, smiling as Elrohir tried to take the feather from Legolas and chuckling at the wrestling match that followed. In the end, Gwahir reached out with a wing and separated the two, taking another feather and giving it to Elrohir.
"Well, lets get you back to Mirkwood." Gandalf said, motioning for the Elves to stand and follow. "We shall take a short stop first, to make sure my business here is done. Isengard, the home of my superior, is near. Gwahir carried you a long way. We shall stop and make sure all is done." With another kind smile, he turned and pointed towards a tall building in the near distance.
~*~*~*
Elladan shivered. The men had hauled him inside a room, and were discussing the best way to have 'fun' with him. He sincerely hoped Tylendal was alright. They had sent another man to go and check on him a few minutes ago.
~*~*~*
The man walked into the room, and immediately froze on spot. The elf was gone. Scanning the room anxiously and suspiciously, he did not notice the object hung above his head in the rafters of the ceiling.
He moved forwards, and hit a tight cord that had been set up between sides of the door. He tripped and fell, but before he could say anything a large sack of flour, balanced precariously on the rafter, was triggered by the wire and fell, hitting the man hard on the head. With a muffled groan, the man slumped over.
Tylendal, perched easily on the top of a crowded shelf, made to move off. He froze as he felt a slight breeze. Looking up, he saw a part of the ceiling that looked older than the rest. It was half rotted from rainwater. With a smile, Tylendal reached down and pulled the knife from his boot. The men should have taken it.
Reaching up, he began to carve through the rotted section, and soon he had it down. Being careful not to make any noise, he laid the section he had cut on the shelf and pulled himself through the hole.
~*~*~*
Legolas eyed the wizard in front of him. Sauruman the White was creepy, the Elven Prince thought. The two wizards conversed with each other, and Elrohir caught Legolas's eye and mockingly shuddered, raising an eyebrow suggestively and tilting his head towards Sauruman. Legolas snickered and nodded.
Even the White wizard's dwelling was creepy. A tall tower made of unknown black stone, and giving Legolas a chilling shiver.
Gandalf turned and smiled at them, while Sauruman watched the two Elflings with interest.
"Come! I can take you back to Mirkwood after one more stop. I have to deliver a message to the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien, and it would be easier to stop there on our way to Mirkwood." The wizard said, with a kind smile. He chuckled at the eager expressions on their faces. Neither had been to Lothlorien, and both were looking forward to it.
With a last respectful nod to Sauruman, Gandalf left Isengard with the two elflings in tow.
~*~*~*
Tylendal slipped onto the roof, and ran lightly along the beams. He dropped down, and hid in the shadows of a nearby alley. He turned towards the building, and tried to find a way in to get Elladan back.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion raise from inside, and knew he had been found out. That means Elladan would be on extra guard. By the Valar, how was he to get him out now?
The men poured out of the building, and Tylendal ran down the street, before turning back and creeping stealthily towards the house, entering a window and easily slipping inside.
~*~*~*
Elladan felt his hopes rise as he heard the men shouting that Tylendal had slipped his ropes, and incapacitated their companion and somehow escaped the room that was supposed to be locked up.
Their shouts took on a new note as they discovered the hole in the ceiling. Elladan smiled. He had double the guards now, but with Tylendal out and free, he stood a good chance of getting out. His silent hopes were answered as Tylendal slipped through a window and quickly cut him free, both creeping out the window again.
~*~*~*
Lorinthel followed the three dwarves, his patrol following. They were heading to a abandoned house that was occupied by this 'Thompson' person.
Marin pounded on the only door, and when there was no answer but shouting within, he rammed his shoulder against the door, effectively breaking it down. They entered the room.
And into pandemonium. Rough, burly men ran about shouting at each other, grabbing weapons and preparing to go somewhere it seemed. At seeing the dwarves and elves, they froze.
Lorinthel snarled and strode forwards.
"Where is Thompson?" The Elf said quietly. The loyalty of the men was revealed when they all turned and pointed at one scarred man. He backed away from the angry looking Elf.
Lorinthel glared at the men, who promptly pleaded their innocence and begging for their lives to be spared. Marin snorted at the pitiful display, and gestured for the elves to leave.
"Come on, these men did not harm the young Elves, and I don't think it is really worth the effort to kill them. Besides, we have to find the young ones." The dwarf muttered gruffly to the Elves.
"Very well then." Lorinthel snapped. He turned and immediately left the house, followed by the patrol and the dwarves, much to the relief of the men.
~*~*~*
Tylendal tried his hardest to avoid the men that were pursuing them. He turned a corner and ran sharply into someone.
"Wha...Watch where your going!" the boy yelled, staggering back with less grace than Tylendal had.
"My apologies. Not watching, was I." Tylendal said. The boy stopped his glare for a moment, blinking at the odd words.
"You two foreign or something?" He asked. It struck Tylendal then that the boy did not recognize them as Elves. That might prove to Tylendal and Elladan's advantage.
"Nay, lived here a lot, have we." He was glad for his dirtied clothing and tussled hair. It would play to his part nicely.
"Where are your parents?" The boy asked, genuinely curious. The two in front of him had a fairness about them that was startling, yet they was not feminine looking. One was brown haired, his hazel eyes bespoke many encounters, some unpleasant, and his clothing was dirtied and bloody on one shoulder. At his question, the person's eyes reflected remembered pain and sorrow.
"Dead, both are. Alone for many years I have been." He said, grief coloring his voice.
"Oh. I'm sorry. Where do you live then?" The boy asked, and immediately Tylendal thought up an answer.
"Nowhere do I live. About and everywhere my home is." Tylendal said, slumping slightly and affecting a weary look. It worked. The boy cast a sympathetic look at him. They were about the same height, but Tylendal was thinner and longer legged.
The boy looked at Elladan, taking in his dark hair and the same tall and slender form.
"Come, you can dine with us tonight. My father is the leader of our caravan, came all the way from Rohan to deal!" He said, leading Tylendal and Elladan to where all the traders were setting up. Tylendal mentally sighed with relief. If the boy and his caravan came from Rohan, they would not recognize them as an Elves.
"So, what are your names?" The boy asked. Elladan answered the question, watching the boy with amusement.
"My father is not here right, now, neither is my brother." The Rivendell Elf answered.
"Know our names, you do. Yours is?" Tylendal asked the dark haired youth beside him. The boy made a disgusted face at the question.
"Alright, to be fair. But don't you dare laugh. It's Chuckleberry." The boy mock glared at Elladan when the other attempted to hide a smile. Tylendal nodded solemnly.
"But everyone calls me Chuck, so you can too." He said warningly. With an innocent smile, Elladan nodded.
"'Ere, Chuck! Who have ye there?" One of the traders shouted. Chuck waved a hand and smiled.
"Some pals who needs a bite and a bed." The boy answered. Tylendal marveled that they had known each other for about fifteen minutes and already the boy was calling them friends and pals. He shook his head slightly. Humans can be so odd, sometimes. He liked the boy though.
"Well then, bring them over." The man called back. Chuck led Tylendal and Elladan towards one of the large fires.
"Well, they're a bit scrawny for boys their age. What's yer name, kid?" One of the traders in the fire circle called. If they called them boys, they were safe from discovery. For some reason, Tylendal figured it would be better to remain unknown for a while.
"His name is Tylendal, father. He talks kind of funny and he has no home or parents. That one is Elladan. His father is away somewhere." Chuck lightly said. Tylendal blanched inwardly, expecting a rebuke for the boy. But none came, so he figured the boy did it often.
With a smile at the sympathetic looks the traders cast at him, he sat and accepted the food given to him.
Tylendal sat with the traders, and they boasted about their different skills. Elladan listened with amusement, and chuckled lightly at some of the outrageous claims.
"Hey kids, why don't you show us what ye can do?" One trader, Jerkin, asked.
"I am not fluent in singing or any of the other things you would be interested in." Tylendal answered with a shake of his head. Elladan sighed, and nudged the other Elf with his elbow.
"Well, what did you use to entertain your friends or whatever? I know people who live on the streets need to find some way to make money." The Rivendell Elf said, smiling mischievously.
"Knife throwing." Tylendal answered without thinking. He caught his breath at what he had said, but the men around him looked interested. Elladan smiled triumphantly.
"Here then. This is better than that little boot knife you own." One man said, drawing a marvelous blade from his belt. He was pocked and scarred, obviously a fighter.
Tylendal accepted the beautiful knife with a defeated sigh and began twirling it with one hand. It spun until it was naught but a blur. Eyes half closed in concentration, he totally relaxed his posture. The blade was well made, and it had superb balance.
For a couple of minutes, he stood there. Then he exploded into motion, striking the blade with his other hand. It flashed off and thunked deep into a tree. With an inhuman speed, Tylendal was over and next to it in an instant, pulling the knife out almost as soon as it hit. He resumed twirling it again, and this time he was facing Chuck as his hand flashed. Chuck jerked back, falling down as he tried to avoid the blade.
There was a collective gasp from the watching traders as Tylendal rushed over and helped the startled boy up. Chuck felt his body and face, searching for the knife.
"Wh-where's the blade?"
Tylendal smiled softly. "Ask me not, ask Jerkin."
A mystified Jerkin scratched his head, confused. "How am I supposed to know? Where'd it go?"
Tylendal pointed downward. "Look between your feet."
The blade was there, still quivering. Jerkin jumped back a pace. "Seasons o' spikes' n' stickles, 'ow did ye do that?"
Tylendal whipped the blade free and began spinning it. His hand flicked out and every body ducked.
"Where is it now?" The Elf asked the traders. Some from other fires had come to watch, and the Elf was getting slightly uncomfortable. Elladan was truly enjoying himself. He had seen Tylendal practice his knife work, and it was truly amazing.
They all looked between their feet, at the deck, and at the trees. "Stuck in somewhere." Jerkin muttered.
Tylendal turned slowly, "Aye, stuck in my belt." He said, and smiled at the dumb struck looks, walking back over and sitting down. He removed the marvelous blade. With a last adoring look, he handed it back to the trader.
With a chuckle, the man reached out and closed Tylendal's fingers around the hilt.
"It is a gift, young one. Never have I seen such skill with the blade, other than the legendary Elves and rangers." The trader would brook no arguments and ignored all protests Tylendal gave him, standing and bowing to the men around the circle. He left, and Tylendal stared after him.
"Well, ye just got the highest praise I think ye could from us. That was one of the best mercenaries in the business." Chuck said.
Tylendal still looked as if he was hit upside the head by a board, and Elladan began laughing uproariously. Sending the other Elf a glare that promised future repayment for that, he twirled his new knife and admired the gleam of the firelight upon it.
~*~*~*
Upon reaching Lothlorien, Gandalf smiled at the barely contained excitement in the two Elflings.
"We are almost there, young ones." The wizard told the two, who were watching the great trees with awe.
Entering the woods, Gandalf knew it would be a matter of a few minutes before the nearest Lothlorien patrol found them. And he was right.
"Halt and state your name and business."
Gandalf looked up and smiled when he saw who challenged him. An old friend of his, who he had hoped to see. The rest of the patrol watched the two Elflings with amusement, as they watched the Lothlorien Elves with wide eyes.
"Haldir, my friend. I bring news and visitors, if you would be kind enough to escort us to the Lord and Lady?" Gandalf said, smiling as Haldir lowered his bow and embraced him.
"And who may our visitors be?" The Elf asked, kneeling down to view the Elflings on their level.
"Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood." Legolas pronounced proudly, and Elrohir snickered and shoved him, sending him sprawling.
"Elrohir, son of Elrond of Rivendell." He answered, dodging a vengeful Legolas.
Haldir smiled. "Quite royal company you keep, my old friend. Sometime I would like to hear how you came upon them. But come, I shall take you to the Lord and Lady." He stood and motioned for them to follow.
Chapter Nine
Tylendal struggled violently with his bonds. He had to get free and find Elladan, and they had to get away.
So intent on his thoughts, it came as a surprise when his right hand slipped free. Looking down, he realized that the blood that ran from his wound had soaked the rope around his wrist, making it easier to slip out of. With a twist, he brought his hand before him and began untying his bonds.
Once free, he surveyed the room. There was one door, and it was out of the question to use it, since he did not know what was beyond it, and the window was small and barred. Any amount of working on it to open it would be too noisy for Tylendal's mind.
Scanning the contents of the room, he saw boxes piled up around the area and shelves full of odds and ends. A storage room. Examining the wall, it was about twelve paces long and eight paces across, and that was shortened from the clutter.
Digging through the nearest box, he pulled out a length of cord. Suddenly an idea popped into his head, and he smiled. Sorting through the clutter, he pulled out other things that may prove useful. With a wicked smile, he got to work.
~*~*~*
"So how did you get lost in Mirkwood?" Gandalf asked, smiling at the young Elves. Gwahir preened one large wing, and a loose feather drifted down. Legolas snatched it up before Elrohir could grab it.
"We were attacked by spiders while fishing. One thing led to another, and we were split from our friends and we do not know where they are." Legolas said. They had told Gandalf who they were, and now they launched into the full story.
Gandalf listened to it, smiling as Elrohir tried to take the feather from Legolas and chuckling at the wrestling match that followed. In the end, Gwahir reached out with a wing and separated the two, taking another feather and giving it to Elrohir.
"Well, lets get you back to Mirkwood." Gandalf said, motioning for the Elves to stand and follow. "We shall take a short stop first, to make sure my business here is done. Isengard, the home of my superior, is near. Gwahir carried you a long way. We shall stop and make sure all is done." With another kind smile, he turned and pointed towards a tall building in the near distance.
~*~*~*
Elladan shivered. The men had hauled him inside a room, and were discussing the best way to have 'fun' with him. He sincerely hoped Tylendal was alright. They had sent another man to go and check on him a few minutes ago.
~*~*~*
The man walked into the room, and immediately froze on spot. The elf was gone. Scanning the room anxiously and suspiciously, he did not notice the object hung above his head in the rafters of the ceiling.
He moved forwards, and hit a tight cord that had been set up between sides of the door. He tripped and fell, but before he could say anything a large sack of flour, balanced precariously on the rafter, was triggered by the wire and fell, hitting the man hard on the head. With a muffled groan, the man slumped over.
Tylendal, perched easily on the top of a crowded shelf, made to move off. He froze as he felt a slight breeze. Looking up, he saw a part of the ceiling that looked older than the rest. It was half rotted from rainwater. With a smile, Tylendal reached down and pulled the knife from his boot. The men should have taken it.
Reaching up, he began to carve through the rotted section, and soon he had it down. Being careful not to make any noise, he laid the section he had cut on the shelf and pulled himself through the hole.
~*~*~*
Legolas eyed the wizard in front of him. Sauruman the White was creepy, the Elven Prince thought. The two wizards conversed with each other, and Elrohir caught Legolas's eye and mockingly shuddered, raising an eyebrow suggestively and tilting his head towards Sauruman. Legolas snickered and nodded.
Even the White wizard's dwelling was creepy. A tall tower made of unknown black stone, and giving Legolas a chilling shiver.
Gandalf turned and smiled at them, while Sauruman watched the two Elflings with interest.
"Come! I can take you back to Mirkwood after one more stop. I have to deliver a message to the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien, and it would be easier to stop there on our way to Mirkwood." The wizard said, with a kind smile. He chuckled at the eager expressions on their faces. Neither had been to Lothlorien, and both were looking forward to it.
With a last respectful nod to Sauruman, Gandalf left Isengard with the two elflings in tow.
~*~*~*
Tylendal slipped onto the roof, and ran lightly along the beams. He dropped down, and hid in the shadows of a nearby alley. He turned towards the building, and tried to find a way in to get Elladan back.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion raise from inside, and knew he had been found out. That means Elladan would be on extra guard. By the Valar, how was he to get him out now?
The men poured out of the building, and Tylendal ran down the street, before turning back and creeping stealthily towards the house, entering a window and easily slipping inside.
~*~*~*
Elladan felt his hopes rise as he heard the men shouting that Tylendal had slipped his ropes, and incapacitated their companion and somehow escaped the room that was supposed to be locked up.
Their shouts took on a new note as they discovered the hole in the ceiling. Elladan smiled. He had double the guards now, but with Tylendal out and free, he stood a good chance of getting out. His silent hopes were answered as Tylendal slipped through a window and quickly cut him free, both creeping out the window again.
~*~*~*
Lorinthel followed the three dwarves, his patrol following. They were heading to a abandoned house that was occupied by this 'Thompson' person.
Marin pounded on the only door, and when there was no answer but shouting within, he rammed his shoulder against the door, effectively breaking it down. They entered the room.
And into pandemonium. Rough, burly men ran about shouting at each other, grabbing weapons and preparing to go somewhere it seemed. At seeing the dwarves and elves, they froze.
Lorinthel snarled and strode forwards.
"Where is Thompson?" The Elf said quietly. The loyalty of the men was revealed when they all turned and pointed at one scarred man. He backed away from the angry looking Elf.
Lorinthel glared at the men, who promptly pleaded their innocence and begging for their lives to be spared. Marin snorted at the pitiful display, and gestured for the elves to leave.
"Come on, these men did not harm the young Elves, and I don't think it is really worth the effort to kill them. Besides, we have to find the young ones." The dwarf muttered gruffly to the Elves.
"Very well then." Lorinthel snapped. He turned and immediately left the house, followed by the patrol and the dwarves, much to the relief of the men.
~*~*~*
Tylendal tried his hardest to avoid the men that were pursuing them. He turned a corner and ran sharply into someone.
"Wha...Watch where your going!" the boy yelled, staggering back with less grace than Tylendal had.
"My apologies. Not watching, was I." Tylendal said. The boy stopped his glare for a moment, blinking at the odd words.
"You two foreign or something?" He asked. It struck Tylendal then that the boy did not recognize them as Elves. That might prove to Tylendal and Elladan's advantage.
"Nay, lived here a lot, have we." He was glad for his dirtied clothing and tussled hair. It would play to his part nicely.
"Where are your parents?" The boy asked, genuinely curious. The two in front of him had a fairness about them that was startling, yet they was not feminine looking. One was brown haired, his hazel eyes bespoke many encounters, some unpleasant, and his clothing was dirtied and bloody on one shoulder. At his question, the person's eyes reflected remembered pain and sorrow.
"Dead, both are. Alone for many years I have been." He said, grief coloring his voice.
"Oh. I'm sorry. Where do you live then?" The boy asked, and immediately Tylendal thought up an answer.
"Nowhere do I live. About and everywhere my home is." Tylendal said, slumping slightly and affecting a weary look. It worked. The boy cast a sympathetic look at him. They were about the same height, but Tylendal was thinner and longer legged.
The boy looked at Elladan, taking in his dark hair and the same tall and slender form.
"Come, you can dine with us tonight. My father is the leader of our caravan, came all the way from Rohan to deal!" He said, leading Tylendal and Elladan to where all the traders were setting up. Tylendal mentally sighed with relief. If the boy and his caravan came from Rohan, they would not recognize them as an Elves.
"So, what are your names?" The boy asked. Elladan answered the question, watching the boy with amusement.
"My father is not here right, now, neither is my brother." The Rivendell Elf answered.
"Know our names, you do. Yours is?" Tylendal asked the dark haired youth beside him. The boy made a disgusted face at the question.
"Alright, to be fair. But don't you dare laugh. It's Chuckleberry." The boy mock glared at Elladan when the other attempted to hide a smile. Tylendal nodded solemnly.
"But everyone calls me Chuck, so you can too." He said warningly. With an innocent smile, Elladan nodded.
"'Ere, Chuck! Who have ye there?" One of the traders shouted. Chuck waved a hand and smiled.
"Some pals who needs a bite and a bed." The boy answered. Tylendal marveled that they had known each other for about fifteen minutes and already the boy was calling them friends and pals. He shook his head slightly. Humans can be so odd, sometimes. He liked the boy though.
"Well then, bring them over." The man called back. Chuck led Tylendal and Elladan towards one of the large fires.
"Well, they're a bit scrawny for boys their age. What's yer name, kid?" One of the traders in the fire circle called. If they called them boys, they were safe from discovery. For some reason, Tylendal figured it would be better to remain unknown for a while.
"His name is Tylendal, father. He talks kind of funny and he has no home or parents. That one is Elladan. His father is away somewhere." Chuck lightly said. Tylendal blanched inwardly, expecting a rebuke for the boy. But none came, so he figured the boy did it often.
With a smile at the sympathetic looks the traders cast at him, he sat and accepted the food given to him.
Tylendal sat with the traders, and they boasted about their different skills. Elladan listened with amusement, and chuckled lightly at some of the outrageous claims.
"Hey kids, why don't you show us what ye can do?" One trader, Jerkin, asked.
"I am not fluent in singing or any of the other things you would be interested in." Tylendal answered with a shake of his head. Elladan sighed, and nudged the other Elf with his elbow.
"Well, what did you use to entertain your friends or whatever? I know people who live on the streets need to find some way to make money." The Rivendell Elf said, smiling mischievously.
"Knife throwing." Tylendal answered without thinking. He caught his breath at what he had said, but the men around him looked interested. Elladan smiled triumphantly.
"Here then. This is better than that little boot knife you own." One man said, drawing a marvelous blade from his belt. He was pocked and scarred, obviously a fighter.
Tylendal accepted the beautiful knife with a defeated sigh and began twirling it with one hand. It spun until it was naught but a blur. Eyes half closed in concentration, he totally relaxed his posture. The blade was well made, and it had superb balance.
For a couple of minutes, he stood there. Then he exploded into motion, striking the blade with his other hand. It flashed off and thunked deep into a tree. With an inhuman speed, Tylendal was over and next to it in an instant, pulling the knife out almost as soon as it hit. He resumed twirling it again, and this time he was facing Chuck as his hand flashed. Chuck jerked back, falling down as he tried to avoid the blade.
There was a collective gasp from the watching traders as Tylendal rushed over and helped the startled boy up. Chuck felt his body and face, searching for the knife.
"Wh-where's the blade?"
Tylendal smiled softly. "Ask me not, ask Jerkin."
A mystified Jerkin scratched his head, confused. "How am I supposed to know? Where'd it go?"
Tylendal pointed downward. "Look between your feet."
The blade was there, still quivering. Jerkin jumped back a pace. "Seasons o' spikes' n' stickles, 'ow did ye do that?"
Tylendal whipped the blade free and began spinning it. His hand flicked out and every body ducked.
"Where is it now?" The Elf asked the traders. Some from other fires had come to watch, and the Elf was getting slightly uncomfortable. Elladan was truly enjoying himself. He had seen Tylendal practice his knife work, and it was truly amazing.
They all looked between their feet, at the deck, and at the trees. "Stuck in somewhere." Jerkin muttered.
Tylendal turned slowly, "Aye, stuck in my belt." He said, and smiled at the dumb struck looks, walking back over and sitting down. He removed the marvelous blade. With a last adoring look, he handed it back to the trader.
With a chuckle, the man reached out and closed Tylendal's fingers around the hilt.
"It is a gift, young one. Never have I seen such skill with the blade, other than the legendary Elves and rangers." The trader would brook no arguments and ignored all protests Tylendal gave him, standing and bowing to the men around the circle. He left, and Tylendal stared after him.
"Well, ye just got the highest praise I think ye could from us. That was one of the best mercenaries in the business." Chuck said.
Tylendal still looked as if he was hit upside the head by a board, and Elladan began laughing uproariously. Sending the other Elf a glare that promised future repayment for that, he twirled his new knife and admired the gleam of the firelight upon it.
~*~*~*
Upon reaching Lothlorien, Gandalf smiled at the barely contained excitement in the two Elflings.
"We are almost there, young ones." The wizard told the two, who were watching the great trees with awe.
Entering the woods, Gandalf knew it would be a matter of a few minutes before the nearest Lothlorien patrol found them. And he was right.
"Halt and state your name and business."
Gandalf looked up and smiled when he saw who challenged him. An old friend of his, who he had hoped to see. The rest of the patrol watched the two Elflings with amusement, as they watched the Lothlorien Elves with wide eyes.
"Haldir, my friend. I bring news and visitors, if you would be kind enough to escort us to the Lord and Lady?" Gandalf said, smiling as Haldir lowered his bow and embraced him.
"And who may our visitors be?" The Elf asked, kneeling down to view the Elflings on their level.
"Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood." Legolas pronounced proudly, and Elrohir snickered and shoved him, sending him sprawling.
"Elrohir, son of Elrond of Rivendell." He answered, dodging a vengeful Legolas.
Haldir smiled. "Quite royal company you keep, my old friend. Sometime I would like to hear how you came upon them. But come, I shall take you to the Lord and Lady." He stood and motioned for them to follow.