Between Siblings

~ Whitney Maidenhall ~

J.R.R. Tolkien is the creator of Middle-earth. Characters and settings all belong to him. I own only the words and the plot, and if you use them without my permission, I will feed you to my imaginary pet alligators.

(Not a very good threat, is it? ::sigh:: That's why I'm never going to become a Dark Lord. I lack evilness.)

::gives Laietha a huge box of chocolate-covered caramels and some Ferrero Rocher:: That's for correctly guessing where the song came from (I just wanted to see who read the books ^_~) and for being my first reviewer… my first EVER reviewer… ::hugs::

::hands out a million packets of Hershey's Kisses to Eglaatarwen Arcalen:: I only wish they could be real… but if they were, I'd keep 'em for myself! ;o)

caz-baz: I'm truly honored to be on your Favorites list.

icy878, Dragon, Miss Understood, Karine, Selena-Sira, technetium, Jaid Skywalker, Lily Frost: Thanks for reviewing!

Chapter Two

Lord Elrond looked up from the book he was reading at the sound of a knock on the door. "Enter," he said with a trace of imperiousness.

Elladan and Elrohir came into the room and closed the door behind them, bright, chipper smiles on their faces, eyes sparkling with laughter. Elrond frowned, wondering what they had been up to, but that frown was softened when he realized how much those eyes were like Celebrian's.

"You wished to talk to us, Adar?" said Elladan.

Elrond nodded and put down his book. "Yes, yes. Please sit down."

When his sons were comfortably settled in the seats in front of him, Elrond clasped his hands together and rested them on the huge polished wooden table, a stern expression on his face. "I would like to talk about your sister."

"Is something the matter with Arwen?" Elrohir asked, his brow knitted in concern.

"Judging from that scream I heard a few moments ago, I would say so, yes," replied Elrond wryly. "However, I know it is merely another one of your pranks. That is what I want to discuss with you--- your pranks."

The twins shared uneasy glances. "What about them, Adar?" asked Elladan.

"You've been plaguing Arwen with them ever since the day she came into this world. I would be greatly amazed if she has any affection for the two of you left."

"But… we love our sister," Elrohir protested.

"I have no doubt that you do, Elrohir, but you certainly have a poor way of showing that love," said Elrond. "Which is why I want to tell you now, to stop playing---"

Suddenly the door to the study was flung open with such tremendous force that it nearly shook the books off their respective places in the shelves. Arwen stood in the threshold, dripping wet from head to toe, her pale face contorted with fury.

"… pranks on your sister," Elrond finished weakly, staring at his daughter in amazement. He turned to his sons, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with laughter. "You two rascals! What in the name of Eru have you done this time?"

Encouraged by their father's apparent mirth, Elladan grinned and explained, "It was such a cold day, Adar, and we thought Arwen would appreciate a nice warm bath."

"Yes," added Elrohir, "we went through such pains to gather water from the Bruinen and heat it. You feel warmer now, don't you, Muinthel?"

Arwen glared at them through blazing gray eyes. "How dare you!" she yelled, sounding on the verge of tears and not at all like the refined young maiden her mother had taught her to be. "Why must you torment me so?"

Quick as a flash, Elrond stood up. "Elladan, Elrohir, I shall speak with you later," he commanded. The twins knew they had been dismissed and walked out of the study. Elladan rumpled Arwen's dark hair as he passed her, and she was hard-pressed not to claw at his face.

As soon as the door shut, Arwen ran into her father's open arms. "Oh, Adar!" she sobbed tearfully into his chest. "I hate them! I wish they would die!"

"Undomiel, you must not say that. We of the Firstborn hold the highest respect for life, and it is a sin to wish death on anyone, no matter how much they have aggravated you." The Lord of Rivendell's voice was hard and stern, yet his hand was gentle and soothing as he patted his daughter's back.

"Ever since I can remember, I have always been the butt of their jokes!" Arwen carried on as if she hadn't heard a single word her father had said. "They tease me and do mean things… I don't think they like me very much. Aren't siblings supposed to love one another, Adar?"

Elrond smiled faintly at the bewilderment in his only daughter's voice. "Your brothers love you, Arwen. Their pranks are simply their way of showing it."

She looked up at him in disbelief.

"It is strange, this bond between siblings," said Elrond, speaking with the wisdom of one who was dwelt in the world for many centuries and therefore possesses a deep understanding of the nature of his race. "They quarrel over the smallest matters, they drive each other to the point of insanity, and they profess at every opportune moment how much they hate each other… when, in reality, to each other they mean the world."

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Hmm, so what do you think? Constructive criticism and suggestions will be greatly appreciated, as I'm eager to improve this story and my own writing skills. ::nonchalantly gestures in direction of Review button::