Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.
Okay! Another chapter! Hope you all like it as much as you liked the other one!
Chapter Fifteen
"Well? Have you a plan or idea? Wary, Haldir is now."
Two forms could be seen crouched in the rafters of one of the palace corridors.
"Of course I do! Now, we just walk by him as if we are sad or dispirited, and he'll see what the matter is. After that, we come up with a good reason to get him over here." Elladan answered, sounding proud of the idea.
"Good idea I was meaning." Tylendal said, expressing his uncertainty and scorn at the plan.
"That is a good idea! I did it at home with Elrohir, and it worked perfectly against Glorfindel and Erestor." Elladan huffed back, staring at his friend with wounded eyes.
Tylendal snorted, but motioned for Elladan to go on. With a grin, the eldest son of Elrond dropped from the rafters and proceeded to walk dejectedly down the hall.
Tylendal shook his head amusement as he watched.
"See? That is all we do. Haldir is such a kind and caring person," Elladan's voice fairly dripped with sarcasm. "He will be sure to help us once we tell him how frustrated and despairing we are."
"Can we skulk? Years it has been since I last skulked." Tylendal added with exaggerated cheerfulness.
"You know, there is one thing I will never miss about you. And that is your complaining and criticism." Elladan said, rolling his eyes at his friend.
"Have to have something to talk about." Tylendal said, a bit defensively. Elladan stifled a laugh. They were nearing Haldir and they could hear him.
Elladan shot a warning look at Tylendal, and was beginning his charade when a loud crash echoed throughout the corridor.
They watched as the glass in one of the large and elaborate windows shattered and fell in a pile on the other side of the wall.
Elves immediately rushed over to see what had happened, Elladan and Tylendal among them.
The Weaponsmaster Sigurd and the rest of his class were staring at the broken window and curious faces peering out.
"What is going on here?" thundered a voice, causing Legolas and Elrohir, standing before the glass pile, to pale.
Thranduil walked out into the yard from one of the side doors. He took in the shattered window and watching bystanders.
"Everyone go back to their business, and send Erestor to find one of the servants to contact the smith about the glass. I want no injuries." The King commanded, eyeing the Elves who were leaving. He turned to Sigurd.
"Now may I inquire as to why one of my windows is broken?"
"Indeed you may, Your Majesty. It seems the upcoming Winter Festival has excited my class, and two in particular." The Elf answered curtly, leaving no doubt to whom was to blame.
"Really? Legolas, Elrohir, what were you doing to break my window?" Thranduil said, turning a stern eye on his son and Elrohir.
"Just...playing, father."
"You know that was one of your excuses before?" Legolas nodded sullenly. "Come. Into my study and we will discuss this." The King said, and walked away, leading two dejected Elflings in his wake.
Sigurd seemed satisfied that justice was to be had, and ordered the rest of his class to the archery fields.
Tylendal and Elladan glanced at each other. It seems their plans were off for the day, as Haldir will probably be helping out with the shattered window.
~*~*~*
Legolas kept his gaze nailed to the floor. Elrohir was probably doing the same. Elrond and Thranduil conferred with each other, probably about the fate of their sons.
The Elven Prince glanced over at his friend, who stood with a dejected look upon his face.
"Legolas, Elrohir, with your wild playing and disregard for Weaponsmaster Sigurd, you have broken a ancient window that has been here since my father was King. We have decided to restrict you from the Winter Festival. You can attend the feast and maybe some of the games, but the majority of the Festival you will be helping in the kitchens." Thranduil said, watching as the two Elflings' faces fell. To be left out of the Winter Festival is probably the hardest punishment they could have had at the moment.
"Yes, Father." They chorused together softly.
"You are dismissed." Thranduil said. He was sorry at having to be so tough on them, but someone could have gotten hurt if the window shards went inside the corridor instead of falling down to the ground.
~*~*~*
The day of the Winter Festival dawned, and the excitement was high. Breakfast was a light meal, and games will be happening throughout the day.
There were different games for different age groups or different occupations. Archery contests and duels for warriors, youths could compete in riding and weaponry as well, young Elflings had multiple games, some rather messy, and many others. That night there was to be a great feast, using food and drink produced by those Elves that wished to compete in the quality of food.
Tylendal and Elladan agreed to stick together. They tore through the palace and outside, where the festivities were being set up. Legolas and Elrohir will be allowed to attend after the great feast that night, and they can stay for one hour, but then they had to help out in the kitchen again.
Tylendal and Elladan were classified as youths, and were allowed to participate in the games of riding and weaponry. A group of younger Elflings were starting a snowball fight, and Elladan ducked an errant snowball and grinned wickedly as he rolled one himself and cast it, catching Tylendal full in the face.
Shaking the powdery snow from his hair, Tylendal snarled and packed one of his own. Elladan smirked and got ready to dodge.
Tylendal threw the snowball, and Elladan laughed as it sped over his head. "You missed!" He shouted.
Tylendal grinned, for his snowball struck true. A snow-laden branch just above Elladan's head had been the target, and the Rivendell Elf sputtered as the snowball struck the branch and dumped its burden onto him.
With a grin and a laugh, Tylendal ducked away from a vengeful Elladan. The brown haired Elf took off, ducking another snowball, and dove into the newly built fort that the younger Elflings had built. They blinked at him, and he grabbed a snowball from a pile they had made and reared out of the fort to catch Elladan in the face.
Elladan backtracked and hid in the opposite fort, and soon they had joined the battle and were leading the younger Elflings against each other.
Elladan took down one of Tylendal's companions, and the victim of his attack stood back up and cast a missile of his own.
Thranduil and Elrond were supervising the setting up of the Festival activities, and heard the laughing and shouts from the battle. They watched as Elladan leaped over the snow wall of his fort and led the younger Elves of his side in a charge against Tylendal's. The Mirkwood Elf responded with a barrage of snowballs that caught many of Elladan's fore runners.
"Children," Thranduil mused, laughing with the other watching Elves as Elladan took one of Tylendal's snow balls right in the face, knocking him backwards into the snow.
"Why Thranduil, remember when you were young and acted just the same?" Elrond teased, watching as his son stood back up and retreated back into his fort.
"Your son retreats." Thranduil said, a wicked light in his eyes. "It appears my subject has won that encounter."
"Just a setback." Elrond assured the King, "Young Tylendal will find my son is of a greater mettle, and shall return shortly." Thranduil snorted.
"If you are to scoff, a wager, then?" Elrond responded loftily. Nearby, Elves chuckled at the exchange.
"Look out!" Came a shout. Elrond snapped his head back around, and got a face full of snow. The Elflings who had been engaged in the snowball fight immediately scattered, disappearing into the surrounding trees to attend to other activities, preferably away from the Lord of Rivendell.
Thranduil's laughter rang though the winter air as Elrond brushed the snow off his face.
~*~*~*
"Just had to hit my father, didn't you?" Elladan said, as he darted around a group of spectators as they watched two warriors duel.
"Not on purpose did I hit him!" Tylendal shot back, leaping over a low branch and ducking around two laughing Elf maidens who were also watching the duel.
They reached the area that was set up for the food, and stopped for a moment to smell the savory scent of baking pastries and roasting quail.
"Smells good." Elladan commented, eyeing a platter of cooling sweets that was set out. A stout Elf picked up the platter and moved it to a safer spot, away from possible thieves.
"It had better. We helped make it."
The two Elflings turned around to see a rather tired Legolas and Elrohir standing behind them. They were helping out as they had been ordered to do.
"I take it you two are having fun?" Elrohir said dryly. Elladan grinned at his brother.
"Cheer up, you will get to come out and play too." He said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, for an hour." Legolas muttered. Tylendal glanced from his prince to Elrohir, unsure what to say or do to cheer up his friends.
"Prince, you and the young Elrohir have dishes to wash. I suggest your friends go about their business so you can go about yours." A cook called over, and the two Elflings sighed, before bidding goodbye to Tylendal and Elladan and heading back to work.
With slightly dampened spirits Tylendal and Elladan walked back to the festivities. It was nearly noon and no lunch was being served, only light snacks to tide them over until the Feast that night.
Elladan noticed one of the maidens watching him, and grinned unabashed back at her. She giggled and whispered behind her hand to one of her friends. Tylendal noticed what Elladan was doing and rolled his eyes. He ignored or dismissed any lady who happened to take a fancy with him, while Elladan it seemed did the same as Legolas did.
The girl and her friends walked over. "Hello, my Lord, Tylendal." She said. Elladan's smile grew broader, and Tylendal looked for a way to escape. He disliked the subtle intrigue played between flirting youths, finding it boring, and taking no part in it himself.
Elladan saw his friend's reaction, and grinned, throwing an arm around the other Elf's shoulders, holding him in place, much to Tylendal's annoyance.
The maidens grinned, for they full well knew how Tylendal felt about these things.
"My Lord, would you do us the pleasure of displaying some of your admirable talents?" The girl asked. Her name was Columbine, though she was commonly known as Clo.
At the mention of 'admirable talents', Tylendal snorted in disbelief. Elladan's grin faltered at his friend's mocking, and tightened his arm around the Mirkwood Elf's shoulders.
"Surely, and gladly." Elladan said, dipping into a bow and releasing Tylendal, although he made sure the maidens were close enough to him so that Tylendal could not slip away without seeming rude.
With a glare that promised revenge, Tylendal stood rigidly with the four maidens around him as Elladan strutted over to a knife throwing contest.
Picking up a nicely balanced dagger, he struck a pose and, with a flip of his wrist, sent it flipping through the air to pierce the target. By no means a bad shot, though not one of the best shots, it was good enough to earn him a prize.
A finely made ribbon with a star pendant on the bottom was what he chose, and walking back to the maidens and Tylendal, gave it to Clo with a exaggerated bow and a flourish of his hands. The maidens giggled as Clo solemnly bowed back, and grinned before taking Elladan and pulling him towards where the dance floor was filling up.
The other three maidens looked at Tylendal, a similar sparkle in their eyes, and he beat a hasty retreat before they could force him into a dance as well.
The musicians and singers struck up a lively tune, and the Winter Festival began.
~*~*~*
Alida Fruit: No, I don't think so. Lol, I haven't decided on the box's purpose just yet.
Emerald Phoenix2: Lol, thanks for your review! Elrohir and Legolas are surely going to be in trouble, aren't they?
Elvenborn: Thanks for both your reviews! I'm glad you like my pranks.
Elvendancer: The twins are my favorite characters, for no reason other than the pranks. I have always wondered how the twin/prank thing got started, you know? They don't say anything like that in the books. Glad to whomever did it though! I do so hope they appear in the third movie, but I don't know if they will.
Wynjara: Lol, yes. We got a bit of snow today, though it melted by now. I so love the snow! Lived in Michigan for at least three years, and now I miss the snow since I moved to Oklahoma.
Coolio02: BIG trouble is right, those windows are old and ancient in my story. Been there since the castle was built by my mind. Thranduil is NOT going to be happy, lol.
Kawaii ningen kitsune: Thanks a lot for your review! I hope you continue to enjoy my stories!
Deana: I thought it would be nice to add in the sound effects there. I know what it sounds like to have a broken window! Some rowdy boys next door do not know how to aim really well, lol.
Okay! Another chapter! Hope you all like it as much as you liked the other one!
Chapter Fifteen
"Well? Have you a plan or idea? Wary, Haldir is now."
Two forms could be seen crouched in the rafters of one of the palace corridors.
"Of course I do! Now, we just walk by him as if we are sad or dispirited, and he'll see what the matter is. After that, we come up with a good reason to get him over here." Elladan answered, sounding proud of the idea.
"Good idea I was meaning." Tylendal said, expressing his uncertainty and scorn at the plan.
"That is a good idea! I did it at home with Elrohir, and it worked perfectly against Glorfindel and Erestor." Elladan huffed back, staring at his friend with wounded eyes.
Tylendal snorted, but motioned for Elladan to go on. With a grin, the eldest son of Elrond dropped from the rafters and proceeded to walk dejectedly down the hall.
Tylendal shook his head amusement as he watched.
"See? That is all we do. Haldir is such a kind and caring person," Elladan's voice fairly dripped with sarcasm. "He will be sure to help us once we tell him how frustrated and despairing we are."
"Can we skulk? Years it has been since I last skulked." Tylendal added with exaggerated cheerfulness.
"You know, there is one thing I will never miss about you. And that is your complaining and criticism." Elladan said, rolling his eyes at his friend.
"Have to have something to talk about." Tylendal said, a bit defensively. Elladan stifled a laugh. They were nearing Haldir and they could hear him.
Elladan shot a warning look at Tylendal, and was beginning his charade when a loud crash echoed throughout the corridor.
They watched as the glass in one of the large and elaborate windows shattered and fell in a pile on the other side of the wall.
Elves immediately rushed over to see what had happened, Elladan and Tylendal among them.
The Weaponsmaster Sigurd and the rest of his class were staring at the broken window and curious faces peering out.
"What is going on here?" thundered a voice, causing Legolas and Elrohir, standing before the glass pile, to pale.
Thranduil walked out into the yard from one of the side doors. He took in the shattered window and watching bystanders.
"Everyone go back to their business, and send Erestor to find one of the servants to contact the smith about the glass. I want no injuries." The King commanded, eyeing the Elves who were leaving. He turned to Sigurd.
"Now may I inquire as to why one of my windows is broken?"
"Indeed you may, Your Majesty. It seems the upcoming Winter Festival has excited my class, and two in particular." The Elf answered curtly, leaving no doubt to whom was to blame.
"Really? Legolas, Elrohir, what were you doing to break my window?" Thranduil said, turning a stern eye on his son and Elrohir.
"Just...playing, father."
"You know that was one of your excuses before?" Legolas nodded sullenly. "Come. Into my study and we will discuss this." The King said, and walked away, leading two dejected Elflings in his wake.
Sigurd seemed satisfied that justice was to be had, and ordered the rest of his class to the archery fields.
Tylendal and Elladan glanced at each other. It seems their plans were off for the day, as Haldir will probably be helping out with the shattered window.
~*~*~*
Legolas kept his gaze nailed to the floor. Elrohir was probably doing the same. Elrond and Thranduil conferred with each other, probably about the fate of their sons.
The Elven Prince glanced over at his friend, who stood with a dejected look upon his face.
"Legolas, Elrohir, with your wild playing and disregard for Weaponsmaster Sigurd, you have broken a ancient window that has been here since my father was King. We have decided to restrict you from the Winter Festival. You can attend the feast and maybe some of the games, but the majority of the Festival you will be helping in the kitchens." Thranduil said, watching as the two Elflings' faces fell. To be left out of the Winter Festival is probably the hardest punishment they could have had at the moment.
"Yes, Father." They chorused together softly.
"You are dismissed." Thranduil said. He was sorry at having to be so tough on them, but someone could have gotten hurt if the window shards went inside the corridor instead of falling down to the ground.
~*~*~*
The day of the Winter Festival dawned, and the excitement was high. Breakfast was a light meal, and games will be happening throughout the day.
There were different games for different age groups or different occupations. Archery contests and duels for warriors, youths could compete in riding and weaponry as well, young Elflings had multiple games, some rather messy, and many others. That night there was to be a great feast, using food and drink produced by those Elves that wished to compete in the quality of food.
Tylendal and Elladan agreed to stick together. They tore through the palace and outside, where the festivities were being set up. Legolas and Elrohir will be allowed to attend after the great feast that night, and they can stay for one hour, but then they had to help out in the kitchen again.
Tylendal and Elladan were classified as youths, and were allowed to participate in the games of riding and weaponry. A group of younger Elflings were starting a snowball fight, and Elladan ducked an errant snowball and grinned wickedly as he rolled one himself and cast it, catching Tylendal full in the face.
Shaking the powdery snow from his hair, Tylendal snarled and packed one of his own. Elladan smirked and got ready to dodge.
Tylendal threw the snowball, and Elladan laughed as it sped over his head. "You missed!" He shouted.
Tylendal grinned, for his snowball struck true. A snow-laden branch just above Elladan's head had been the target, and the Rivendell Elf sputtered as the snowball struck the branch and dumped its burden onto him.
With a grin and a laugh, Tylendal ducked away from a vengeful Elladan. The brown haired Elf took off, ducking another snowball, and dove into the newly built fort that the younger Elflings had built. They blinked at him, and he grabbed a snowball from a pile they had made and reared out of the fort to catch Elladan in the face.
Elladan backtracked and hid in the opposite fort, and soon they had joined the battle and were leading the younger Elflings against each other.
Elladan took down one of Tylendal's companions, and the victim of his attack stood back up and cast a missile of his own.
Thranduil and Elrond were supervising the setting up of the Festival activities, and heard the laughing and shouts from the battle. They watched as Elladan leaped over the snow wall of his fort and led the younger Elves of his side in a charge against Tylendal's. The Mirkwood Elf responded with a barrage of snowballs that caught many of Elladan's fore runners.
"Children," Thranduil mused, laughing with the other watching Elves as Elladan took one of Tylendal's snow balls right in the face, knocking him backwards into the snow.
"Why Thranduil, remember when you were young and acted just the same?" Elrond teased, watching as his son stood back up and retreated back into his fort.
"Your son retreats." Thranduil said, a wicked light in his eyes. "It appears my subject has won that encounter."
"Just a setback." Elrond assured the King, "Young Tylendal will find my son is of a greater mettle, and shall return shortly." Thranduil snorted.
"If you are to scoff, a wager, then?" Elrond responded loftily. Nearby, Elves chuckled at the exchange.
"Look out!" Came a shout. Elrond snapped his head back around, and got a face full of snow. The Elflings who had been engaged in the snowball fight immediately scattered, disappearing into the surrounding trees to attend to other activities, preferably away from the Lord of Rivendell.
Thranduil's laughter rang though the winter air as Elrond brushed the snow off his face.
~*~*~*
"Just had to hit my father, didn't you?" Elladan said, as he darted around a group of spectators as they watched two warriors duel.
"Not on purpose did I hit him!" Tylendal shot back, leaping over a low branch and ducking around two laughing Elf maidens who were also watching the duel.
They reached the area that was set up for the food, and stopped for a moment to smell the savory scent of baking pastries and roasting quail.
"Smells good." Elladan commented, eyeing a platter of cooling sweets that was set out. A stout Elf picked up the platter and moved it to a safer spot, away from possible thieves.
"It had better. We helped make it."
The two Elflings turned around to see a rather tired Legolas and Elrohir standing behind them. They were helping out as they had been ordered to do.
"I take it you two are having fun?" Elrohir said dryly. Elladan grinned at his brother.
"Cheer up, you will get to come out and play too." He said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, for an hour." Legolas muttered. Tylendal glanced from his prince to Elrohir, unsure what to say or do to cheer up his friends.
"Prince, you and the young Elrohir have dishes to wash. I suggest your friends go about their business so you can go about yours." A cook called over, and the two Elflings sighed, before bidding goodbye to Tylendal and Elladan and heading back to work.
With slightly dampened spirits Tylendal and Elladan walked back to the festivities. It was nearly noon and no lunch was being served, only light snacks to tide them over until the Feast that night.
Elladan noticed one of the maidens watching him, and grinned unabashed back at her. She giggled and whispered behind her hand to one of her friends. Tylendal noticed what Elladan was doing and rolled his eyes. He ignored or dismissed any lady who happened to take a fancy with him, while Elladan it seemed did the same as Legolas did.
The girl and her friends walked over. "Hello, my Lord, Tylendal." She said. Elladan's smile grew broader, and Tylendal looked for a way to escape. He disliked the subtle intrigue played between flirting youths, finding it boring, and taking no part in it himself.
Elladan saw his friend's reaction, and grinned, throwing an arm around the other Elf's shoulders, holding him in place, much to Tylendal's annoyance.
The maidens grinned, for they full well knew how Tylendal felt about these things.
"My Lord, would you do us the pleasure of displaying some of your admirable talents?" The girl asked. Her name was Columbine, though she was commonly known as Clo.
At the mention of 'admirable talents', Tylendal snorted in disbelief. Elladan's grin faltered at his friend's mocking, and tightened his arm around the Mirkwood Elf's shoulders.
"Surely, and gladly." Elladan said, dipping into a bow and releasing Tylendal, although he made sure the maidens were close enough to him so that Tylendal could not slip away without seeming rude.
With a glare that promised revenge, Tylendal stood rigidly with the four maidens around him as Elladan strutted over to a knife throwing contest.
Picking up a nicely balanced dagger, he struck a pose and, with a flip of his wrist, sent it flipping through the air to pierce the target. By no means a bad shot, though not one of the best shots, it was good enough to earn him a prize.
A finely made ribbon with a star pendant on the bottom was what he chose, and walking back to the maidens and Tylendal, gave it to Clo with a exaggerated bow and a flourish of his hands. The maidens giggled as Clo solemnly bowed back, and grinned before taking Elladan and pulling him towards where the dance floor was filling up.
The other three maidens looked at Tylendal, a similar sparkle in their eyes, and he beat a hasty retreat before they could force him into a dance as well.
The musicians and singers struck up a lively tune, and the Winter Festival began.
~*~*~*
Alida Fruit: No, I don't think so. Lol, I haven't decided on the box's purpose just yet.
Emerald Phoenix2: Lol, thanks for your review! Elrohir and Legolas are surely going to be in trouble, aren't they?
Elvenborn: Thanks for both your reviews! I'm glad you like my pranks.
Elvendancer: The twins are my favorite characters, for no reason other than the pranks. I have always wondered how the twin/prank thing got started, you know? They don't say anything like that in the books. Glad to whomever did it though! I do so hope they appear in the third movie, but I don't know if they will.
Wynjara: Lol, yes. We got a bit of snow today, though it melted by now. I so love the snow! Lived in Michigan for at least three years, and now I miss the snow since I moved to Oklahoma.
Coolio02: BIG trouble is right, those windows are old and ancient in my story. Been there since the castle was built by my mind. Thranduil is NOT going to be happy, lol.
Kawaii ningen kitsune: Thanks a lot for your review! I hope you continue to enjoy my stories!
Deana: I thought it would be nice to add in the sound effects there. I know what it sounds like to have a broken window! Some rowdy boys next door do not know how to aim really well, lol.