Another chapter here, I suppose it's about time I put a disclaimer in, huh? Here goes:
Disclaimer: I don't own Middle-earth (I wish I did), I don't own Elladan or Elrohir (oh god I wish I did…), I don't own Aragorn or Elrond (this is torture..), I don't own any of Tolkien's Elves… (-sigh-). So… yeah. I don't own any money either. No suing.
Yay! She's finally written it! Okay, now on to this chapter, please read and review and I'll love you and send you an Elf-in-a-Box! (right after I get one myself..)
-A
Riddles
Ten days after leaving Lórien the young Elves were on the eastern banks of the Anduin. To their west they could just vaguely hear the roaring of Rauros, closer than that were the peaks of Eymen Muil. Their path went around these dangers, but in their way lay others.
Elladan rode close to his brother, they were nearing Dagorlad, the great battle plain, spread out before them and that fact agitated him. Elrohir felt no better, though he tried to cheer Elladan up on and off throughout the day. In the distance rose the mountains of Mordor, their jagged peaks were dark and foreboding, and Elrohir did not like them at all. He could not imagine crossing into those dark lands, as his father had with Gil-galad's host so long ago at the end of the Second Age. The High-king had fallen in that land, along with many other great Men and Elves. With a shudder, Elrohir shook off the ghosts of the past. Beside him, Elladan seemed to be doing the same.
"We should have looked at the maps in Lórien, to better measure the distance." Elladan broke the silence, and then began to fish out a wafer of one of the lembas. Elrohir nodded his agreement.
"Or better yet, we should have taken one our father's maps." He paused to look up at the dimming sky, then took a quick look around. "Then again, we know where we are now and we know where we must got from here. Those are the Ered Lithui to our east and Dagorlad is spread out between there and us. The fog and mire to our west, I would then assume, are the Dead Marshes."
Elladan gave a shudder at the mention of the Marshes; he hoped they would not have to cross them. "If it comes to passing through the Marshes or edging on Mordor, I would choose the Marshes."
Elrohir nodded slowly, then began to sing. He had noticed that speaking in their own tongue with Elladan had seemed to brighten things some. Perhaps it was treacherous to speak it a land forsaken by Elves, but it lifted their hearts to do so. Silence would have driven them mad. The song he'd begun was a lament to Gil-galad, Elrohir had felt it was appropriate, or at least a part of it.
Alcarelen ne aran Eldaron.
Sen i nandaror lire nimbanen:
i telwa ya ardarya ne vanima ar latina
imbe I Oronti ar i ear.
Macilerya ne lenwa, eccorya ne laice,
Silala cassarya vahaia cenina;
i unotime eleni menelo telluma
naltanar turmaryasse telpina.
Nan yalume haya lendero,
Ar mammen marnero uner pole quete;
An morniennan elenarya lantante
Mordoresse yassen i huiner nar.
Elladan glanced to his brother and a smile appeared. "Do you intend to sing to me whenever my spirits fall?" The grin Elrohir flashed him could be called nothing less than mischievous. His younger brother broke into a rowdy and silly song, pleased to hear Elladan's delighted laughter. It almost seemed as if the very sound made the clouds thin. But night would soon be falling, already the sun was sinking towards the west.
"If my singing does not work, than perhaps I can ask you riddles to take your mind off things," Elrohir grinned, "for I am better at reciting and making them up than I am songs." In truth he was. While Elladan could easily spout poetry, songs, and history, Elrohir could invent riddles and stories; he'd kept them both entertained when they were children and he would do so now.
"Since you incited this game, you can start it."
Elrohir nodded and immediately retaliated with the first riddle of their game;
Greater than the Valar,
More evil than the Dark Lord,
The poor have it, the wealthy need it.
If you eat it, you will die.
Elladan rolled his eyes. "That's an easy one, you came up with that when we were little."
"If it is so easy then why haven't you recalled the answer?" Elrohir grinned as Elladan paused, as if trying to remember something.
"The answer is nothing."
"Yes – your turn. And make it a good one."
Elladan nodded and went silent again, looking around as if needed inspiration.
One of us falls but never breaksOne of us breaks but never falls
What are we?
"Ha! A waterfall and a wave-"
"Wrong – nightfall and daybreak. I was looking to the west when I came up with it, I was sure you'd get it.. But then again, I suppose your answers are right as well. Either way, it's your turn again."
"All right, I learned this one from Bilbo,
Little Nancy NetticoatIn a white petticoat
And a red nose
The longer she stands
The shorter she grows."
"That certainly sounds like something from a hobbit…" Elladan trailed off. He'd listened to riddles from Bilbo before and yet this one he must have missed. He tried to think of an answer; hobbit riddles usually had pleasant answers. "Red nose.. white petticoats… grows shorter as it stands.. What grow shorter?" He mused aloud to himself. He tried to picture it in his mind.. red, then white, growing shorter and shorter. Suddenly it came to him and he grinned. "The answer is a candle, isn't it?"
"Yes, very good. Your turn." Elrohir grinned, he hadn't expected Elladan to take so long to guess it. On the other hand, it had taken him a good ten minutes to figure it out when Bilbo asked him.
"All right, if you don't get this one you have to tend the horses when we stop – which I think should be soon."
"Agreed, I would tend them anyway. Now ask before I grow old!" Elrohir smiled at his brother's quiet laughter.
Elladan was struck with inspiration at that moment, and he combined his own verses with the idea of a riddle he'd heard once from Aragorn, again it had been long ago.
Do not begrudge thisFor it is not the fate of all save we
Yet it is feared
And shunned in many lands
Causes problems and sometimes gaps
Can hobble the strongest and memory lapse
What is this danger that all others face
And yet is not feared by those of our race?Elrohir's brow wrinkled some in concentration and a frown of thought graced his young face. He hadn't expected Elladan to come up with something so clever as that. He heard his brother's laughter and the question, "Have I finally bemused you, tithen-muindor?" To that Elrohir responded, "No.. just give me a moment… and I'm not so much younger, iaur-muindor.." He grinned some. He truly didn't mind having an older brother, it was rather fun to argue about it sometimes, though, as they were indeed twins. After a long while, Elrohir shook his head.
"I cannot think of an answer – what is it?"
"Old age." Elladan grinned as he revealed the answer and let out a triumphant yell. "Your prodding gave me an answer to it, and one or two verses I borrowed from a riddle from Estel, from long ago. The rest are mine."
Elrohir laughed softly. "Mae nauth, Elladan. I suppose this means we should stop for the evening, and I will tend the horses." After riding a short distance they stopped, finding a small ring of stones that would provide some protection during the night. They dismounted, Elrohir took the horses and began to search through his own pack for the brush he always carried when riding. Unfortunately they had no grain, and so the animals would have to forage for what greens they could. Elladan went about building a small fire, more for the comfort of light rather than warmth or protection, and soon thereafter Elrohir joined him.
I am sometimes roundSometimes halved
Sometimes just a sliver
But even when you can't see me
I am always thereElladan glanced at his brother curiously and found him looking up at the sky, where the waning moon was rising. "The moon, is the answer. And it helps none that you ask the riddle when you are staring at the answer." He chastised playfully, seeing his brother's sheepish grin when he looked back.
"Fine. A little slip up is granted after a long day.. I will take first watch and wake you in some hours, when the moon is half through it's journey." Elladan nodded and settled down against the rocks, eyes staring blankly into the fire. But he would not sleep so easily, and after some time he murmured,
Often spoken of, never seen,
Ever coming, never been,
Daily looked for, never here,
Still approaching, coming near.
Thousands for its visit wait
But alas for their fate,
Tho' they expect me to appear
They will never find me here.
I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will.
Elrohir smiled and looked at his brother. "Tomorrow is the answer, now go to sleep, Elladan, lest you wish to be awake all night." His brother gave a slight shake of his head and soon settled once more, looking the vision of peace while he drifted off. Elrohir could tell when he was finally asleep – the grey eyes had glazed over as they were wont to do when Elves walked in a dream world. "Olthao mae a erio mae." He murmured softly before resuming his watch, his eyes on the sky, the stars and moon, and his ears alert of any sounds other than Elladan's breathing and the sounds of the horses.
†
Yay.. chapter done, more soon. Please read and review – remember: Elf-in-a-Box!
tithen-muindor - little brother
iaur-muindor - big(lit: older) brother
Mae nauth - well thought
Olthao mae a erio mae - dream well and wake (lit: rise) well
