TITLE: The Stable Boy
AUTHOR: Indigo
RATING: from PG to NC-17 in later chapters
SPOILERS: None
SUMMARY: Elrohir ventures out into the world to find out what it's like to be Human
WARNING: This story is going to contain SLASH, so don't bother if you don't like it or are offended by it in any way. Also, this is an AU in which Boromir is not the Steward of Gondor, but rather a Lord in a large town near Minas Tirith. This also takes place many years before LOTR would have taken place, before Celebrian goes west, but after the twins have reached their majority.
DISCLAIMER: I am using characters that are not mine, but I make no money off of this, so I don't think it matters anyway. In fact, I probably lose money off of this, since I could very well be working on something more productive right now. ;)
FEEDBACK: Please!!!! Pretty pretty please!!!
************** The Stable Boy **************
Elladan watched uneasily as his twin brother moved around the room, flitting from place to place like an excited bird. Elrohir rifled through the open trunk at the foot of the grand four-poster bed, at last surfacing with an old, worn cloak that must have been blue at some point. Why he still possessed the garment, Valar only knew.
"This is not a good idea," Elladan repeated for the hundredth time that day. "You at least should not be going alone."
Elrohir looked hard at his twin. "What do you mean, unless you want to come with me?" he asked.
Elladan snorted. "Not likely. I have not your curiosity, or your wish to cause an absolute uproar in the household."
Elrohir sat on the floor, fingering a beautifully made longbow in his lap. He was silent for several heartbeats before he looked up at his twin again. "I have reached my majority, and I think that this is my choice. You alone know of my plan. Please do not tell anyone!"
Elladan turned his back on his brother, looking out the window. "I will keep your secret. Stars know, it is not the only one we have between us." He sighed and turned, and Elrohir could see the tears threatening to escape his eyes. "Mother will be heartbroken," he whispered.
Elrohir placed the bow in the open chest, along with the Elven sword which already rested there. "Mother will never be faced with such a choice as we, and I will not be gone long. Father will understand. How am I to choose between the races of Man and Elf when the time comes if I do not fully understand what I am giving up in both respects?"
Elladan nodded. "I understand your dilemma, though I wish that your heart was as certain as mine. But, please brother, can this not wait for a few years more? Our choice is so far in the future that I cannot believe it will ever come."
Elrohir smiled at his older brother's idealism. "It will come on the wings of the eagles if we are not prepared. And this is as grand a time as ever to discover what lies in other lands."
Elladan sat heavily on his brother's bed, watching as Elrohir donned the worn traveler's clothes he had chosen for his journey. He noted that Elrohir looked almost like a young Man, if it was not for the long fall of his raven hair tucked behind his pointed ears. As half-elven, the twins were still fair of face and sound of limb, but they were not quite as fey as others of the Elven race.
"Your hair, and your ears," Elladan commented. "What are you going to do about that?"
Elrohir stepped over to the mirror, gazing hard at his reflection. At last, he stepped over to Elladan and unsheathed the dagger that hung at his brother's waist. He gathered his hair in hand and sliced it in one smooth movement so that it hung only long enough to brush his shoulders. Combing it with his fingers, he brought it forward so that it effectively hid his ears from view. Now an observer would not be able to distinguish Elrohir from an exceptionally pretty young man.
Elladan stared at his brother's actions in horror. He moved to touch the shorn hair which was no longer a mirror to his own waist-long locks. He stood abruptly, not taking the dagger which was offered back to him.
"It will grow back," Elrohir reasoned, not at all abashed.
Elladan turned at the door to stare back at Elrohir. "I hope you find what you're looking for, and I hope it is worth abandoning your family!" He turned again and slammed the door in his wake, not caring about the tears that tumbled down his face.
Elrohir collapsed on the bed, looking first at the closed door and then to the dagger in his hand and the black hair strewn across the floor. He swept it up quickly, leaving no mess behind for Elladan to be upset over. He glanced out the window; it would grow light in a few hours and he would have to leave now if he was not to be detected. He gathered the old hooded cloak and the meager bag of belongings that he was bringing with him. His eye caught Elladan's dagger, on the floor where he had dropped it. He picked it up, noticing that it was more ornamental than functional, though Elladan obviously kept a sharp edge on it. He laid it neatly on the dresser, where Elladan could find it easily. With one last look back, he made his way to the stables.
The horses in the stables greeted him with soft whickers. He was well known to them, and especially to the little gray stallion he approached. He had bred and trained this colt himself, and they were close friends since his birth. He had wanted to take the young horse into its first battle, but now their first adventure would be one of exploration rather than defense. However, he would feel more secure knowing that his mount was trained for war, even if he had no need to fall back on that training.
He quietly led the horse out of the stable and out onto the grounds. Regret filled his heart at his poor farewell to his brother, but there was no time now to hunt Elladan down for a proper good-bye. He mounted the sleek back and was about to urge the horse onwards when a familiar voice cut across the misty grounds.
"Elrohir! Wait!" Elladan called as he sprinted down the path from the house. Elrohir stilled his horse and waited for Elladan to come up to him. Elladan had several packs in his hands. "My foolish little brother!" Elladan said, though only half in annoyance. "I wager that you were about to go off with no food or provisions with you!"
Elrohir quickly realized that in his excitement he had forgotten about bringing any food. Elladan quickly shoved a pack in his hands, along with two water skins. "Food," he said. "And one flask of water, and another of wine."
Elrohir quickly stored the bags. Elladan placed a small but heavy purse in his hands. "Here, take this also. You will need it in any case."
Elrohir spied in the purse to see that it was stuffed full of gold and silver coins. His eyes widened. Though they were sons of the Lord of Imladris, they need no coins among their own people, and therefore never carried any. He wondered where Elladan had come across such funds.
"Elladan, I can't take this," he said, handing it back.
"No, no, take it, Elrohir," Elladan pushed him. "Hide it well, and do not use it if your conscience pangs you so, but it would ease my mind to at least know you have it."
Elrohir nodded, tears in his eyes as he quickly hid the purse in his tunics. Elladan stepped back then, raising his hand in farewell. "Come back to me, brother," Elladan pleaded.
"I will," Elrohir promised. He turned his horse and they sped off down the trail, not looking back to see his brother weeping.
AUTHOR: Indigo
RATING: from PG to NC-17 in later chapters
SPOILERS: None
SUMMARY: Elrohir ventures out into the world to find out what it's like to be Human
WARNING: This story is going to contain SLASH, so don't bother if you don't like it or are offended by it in any way. Also, this is an AU in which Boromir is not the Steward of Gondor, but rather a Lord in a large town near Minas Tirith. This also takes place many years before LOTR would have taken place, before Celebrian goes west, but after the twins have reached their majority.
DISCLAIMER: I am using characters that are not mine, but I make no money off of this, so I don't think it matters anyway. In fact, I probably lose money off of this, since I could very well be working on something more productive right now. ;)
FEEDBACK: Please!!!! Pretty pretty please!!!
************** The Stable Boy **************
Elladan watched uneasily as his twin brother moved around the room, flitting from place to place like an excited bird. Elrohir rifled through the open trunk at the foot of the grand four-poster bed, at last surfacing with an old, worn cloak that must have been blue at some point. Why he still possessed the garment, Valar only knew.
"This is not a good idea," Elladan repeated for the hundredth time that day. "You at least should not be going alone."
Elrohir looked hard at his twin. "What do you mean, unless you want to come with me?" he asked.
Elladan snorted. "Not likely. I have not your curiosity, or your wish to cause an absolute uproar in the household."
Elrohir sat on the floor, fingering a beautifully made longbow in his lap. He was silent for several heartbeats before he looked up at his twin again. "I have reached my majority, and I think that this is my choice. You alone know of my plan. Please do not tell anyone!"
Elladan turned his back on his brother, looking out the window. "I will keep your secret. Stars know, it is not the only one we have between us." He sighed and turned, and Elrohir could see the tears threatening to escape his eyes. "Mother will be heartbroken," he whispered.
Elrohir placed the bow in the open chest, along with the Elven sword which already rested there. "Mother will never be faced with such a choice as we, and I will not be gone long. Father will understand. How am I to choose between the races of Man and Elf when the time comes if I do not fully understand what I am giving up in both respects?"
Elladan nodded. "I understand your dilemma, though I wish that your heart was as certain as mine. But, please brother, can this not wait for a few years more? Our choice is so far in the future that I cannot believe it will ever come."
Elrohir smiled at his older brother's idealism. "It will come on the wings of the eagles if we are not prepared. And this is as grand a time as ever to discover what lies in other lands."
Elladan sat heavily on his brother's bed, watching as Elrohir donned the worn traveler's clothes he had chosen for his journey. He noted that Elrohir looked almost like a young Man, if it was not for the long fall of his raven hair tucked behind his pointed ears. As half-elven, the twins were still fair of face and sound of limb, but they were not quite as fey as others of the Elven race.
"Your hair, and your ears," Elladan commented. "What are you going to do about that?"
Elrohir stepped over to the mirror, gazing hard at his reflection. At last, he stepped over to Elladan and unsheathed the dagger that hung at his brother's waist. He gathered his hair in hand and sliced it in one smooth movement so that it hung only long enough to brush his shoulders. Combing it with his fingers, he brought it forward so that it effectively hid his ears from view. Now an observer would not be able to distinguish Elrohir from an exceptionally pretty young man.
Elladan stared at his brother's actions in horror. He moved to touch the shorn hair which was no longer a mirror to his own waist-long locks. He stood abruptly, not taking the dagger which was offered back to him.
"It will grow back," Elrohir reasoned, not at all abashed.
Elladan turned at the door to stare back at Elrohir. "I hope you find what you're looking for, and I hope it is worth abandoning your family!" He turned again and slammed the door in his wake, not caring about the tears that tumbled down his face.
Elrohir collapsed on the bed, looking first at the closed door and then to the dagger in his hand and the black hair strewn across the floor. He swept it up quickly, leaving no mess behind for Elladan to be upset over. He glanced out the window; it would grow light in a few hours and he would have to leave now if he was not to be detected. He gathered the old hooded cloak and the meager bag of belongings that he was bringing with him. His eye caught Elladan's dagger, on the floor where he had dropped it. He picked it up, noticing that it was more ornamental than functional, though Elladan obviously kept a sharp edge on it. He laid it neatly on the dresser, where Elladan could find it easily. With one last look back, he made his way to the stables.
The horses in the stables greeted him with soft whickers. He was well known to them, and especially to the little gray stallion he approached. He had bred and trained this colt himself, and they were close friends since his birth. He had wanted to take the young horse into its first battle, but now their first adventure would be one of exploration rather than defense. However, he would feel more secure knowing that his mount was trained for war, even if he had no need to fall back on that training.
He quietly led the horse out of the stable and out onto the grounds. Regret filled his heart at his poor farewell to his brother, but there was no time now to hunt Elladan down for a proper good-bye. He mounted the sleek back and was about to urge the horse onwards when a familiar voice cut across the misty grounds.
"Elrohir! Wait!" Elladan called as he sprinted down the path from the house. Elrohir stilled his horse and waited for Elladan to come up to him. Elladan had several packs in his hands. "My foolish little brother!" Elladan said, though only half in annoyance. "I wager that you were about to go off with no food or provisions with you!"
Elrohir quickly realized that in his excitement he had forgotten about bringing any food. Elladan quickly shoved a pack in his hands, along with two water skins. "Food," he said. "And one flask of water, and another of wine."
Elrohir quickly stored the bags. Elladan placed a small but heavy purse in his hands. "Here, take this also. You will need it in any case."
Elrohir spied in the purse to see that it was stuffed full of gold and silver coins. His eyes widened. Though they were sons of the Lord of Imladris, they need no coins among their own people, and therefore never carried any. He wondered where Elladan had come across such funds.
"Elladan, I can't take this," he said, handing it back.
"No, no, take it, Elrohir," Elladan pushed him. "Hide it well, and do not use it if your conscience pangs you so, but it would ease my mind to at least know you have it."
Elrohir nodded, tears in his eyes as he quickly hid the purse in his tunics. Elladan stepped back then, raising his hand in farewell. "Come back to me, brother," Elladan pleaded.
"I will," Elrohir promised. He turned his horse and they sped off down the trail, not looking back to see his brother weeping.