In this next part, there's a rude comment made towards Elros and Gil-galad, as well as six OC elves, Deleb, Lavan, Dolen, Norn, Coth, and Torog.  Norn is the ringleader of his little gang, the other five are his groupies.  They're all around Elros' age.

                     Speaking of ages, some people are confused.  I keep saying Elros and Elrond appear to be the same age, so people wonder if I mean to say Elladan and Elrohir, the twins.  I don't.  Elros and Elrond aren't twins, Elros is about 50 yrs older then Elrond, in this story.  However, 50 yrs to an elf isn't enough to make a noticeable difference in how old they appear.  Elrond and Elros are 16ish, Thranduil's between 14 and 15.

I don't own them, you don't own them, but if you do, drop me a line!  I'd love to chat with you!

When Elrond Met Thranduil

                     "Elrond, don't do it!  You could fall in!"  Thranduil tried to hold Elrond back but the older elf shook him off impatiently.

                     "Thranduil, trust me, I won't fall in.  This is a matter of honor, I must do it."

                     "But Elrond!"

                     Elrond ignored his friend's pleas and leapt lightly onto the slender tree that had fallen during a windstorm.  "Thranduil, I will be fine."

                     "Listen to the prince, half-elf!  He certainly is wiser then you!"  Norn sneered at Elrond openly.  Norn was a striking elf, in a cold way.  He was also two centuries older then Elros and hated the half-breeds that the king adored.  Elrond ignored Norn as Elros growled at him.  This was all Norn's fault.

Flashback

                     Elrond, Elros, and Thranduil were running around the gardens of Rivendell, picking up all the branches that were blown down in the recent windstorm, laughing and joking with each other.  Norn and his cronies sauntered up.  After watching the trio with a look of disgust on his face, Norn called out to them.

                     "Oi!  Cleanup crew!  Big branch down near the river!  Gil-galad wishes you take care of that as well!"

                     Elrond stuck his tongue out at Norn.  Elros snubbed his nose at him, and Thranduil snickered softly at his friends' antics.  Nevertheless, the three quickly finished their work in the gardens and headed for the river where Norn and five other young elves were waiting.

                     The 'big branch' turned out to be a small tree that had been uprooted and thrown over the river not too far before one of Rivendell's many waterfalls.  Norn was skipping across it, from one side to the other.  When the trio showed up, he leapt off and bowed with a flourish as his cronies applauded.

                     "See, half-elves, that's what a real elf can do.  Anyone with human blood in them would slip and fall for certain."

                     Elros looked at the tree, then back at Norn.  "That's supposed to be difficult?" he asked, his voice incredulous.  "Why, even Thranduil can cross that!"

                     "Prince Thranduil is a true pure-blooded elf," another elf, Lavan, pointed out.  "That type of thing comes naturally to us."

                     Norn silenced Lavan with a wave of his hand.  "How about this.  If Elrond can cross the tree and back, we'll take care of it and leave you alone for the rest of the day.  If he can't, not only does it prove half-elves are a weaker breed, but you also must follow us around and do our bidding for the entire week, except for Prince Thranduil.  He has no part in this.  What do you say?"

                     "Frankly, I think we're getting the worse part of the bargain," Elros stated.

                     "However," Elrond interjected, "crossing the tree will be no difficult task.  We'll win, so it doesn't matter what will happen if we lose."

                     Norn rolled his eyes.  "Half-elves with their arrogance of men," he spat.  "You disgust me."

                     Elrond stepped close to Norn.  "If I cross and back, you'll admit that half-elves are every bit as good as pure elves, and you'll stop harassing us."

                     Norn sighed dramatically.  "Very well, if I must."  He shook Elrond's hand rather reluctantly and gestured to the tree.

End Flashback

                     Thranduil begged and pleaded, trying to get Elrond to reconsider.  Although he loved spending time with the brothers, he also cherished the time he spent alone, buried amongst Rivendell's scrolls and texts.  He knew that a windstorm such as the one there was last night was usually followed by a flooding of the rivers, for much rain would have fallen upstream.  The wave of water would be arriving at any moment, and if Elrond was on the tree at the time, he could be swept off.  However, the tell-tale rumble that signaled the imminent arrival of the flood could not be heard.

                     Elrond skipped across the log as Norn had done, cavorting his way across the river.  Elros watched smugly as Thranduil covered his eyes.  Was that the water-rumble he heard?

                     Elrond was halfway across the log on his way back when the wave came into view.  Panicked, Elrond sprinted for the shore, but the water was quicker.  Thranduil screamed as the log was swept out and Elrond disappeared from view.

                     All the elves ran to the swollen river bank, fighting to see into the swirling rapids.  The placid river had turned into a frothing monster, and Elrond was no where to be seen.  Elros turned on Norn with a snarl.  Norn backed away, palms raised and a frantic expression on his face.  "I didn't know that would happen, honest!  I never meant for this flood water!  I just thought he'd slip off!  I swear, this was an accident!"

                     "Look!"  Another of Norn's friends, Torog, pointed to a rock just at the top of the waterfall.  Elrond was clinging to it with all his strength, trying to pull himself out of the river.

                     Elros abandoned Norn to run to the river's edge again, pacing like a caged beast.  "Elrond!"

                     Thranduil looked around, searching for a branch, a rope, a vine, anything he could throw to Elrond to help him back.

                     Elrond gasped as the water slammed into him, no longer trying to pull himself onto the rock but just trying to keep his face above water.  Vaguely, he could hear someone calling his name, but he couldn't make out who.  The water was so cold, it numbed him to the bone.  A log from upstream slammed into his hands clenched around the rock and he cried out, releasing his grip.  All the elves screamed with him as he toppled over the waterfall.

                     Gil-galad, Glorfindel, and several other elves arrived at the scene in time to pull Torog, Lavan, Coth, Dolen, and Deleb off of Elros, and Elros off of Norn.  The lower they got in the pile, the more beaten the elves were.  Thranduil alone was unhurt.

                     "What is going on here?"  Gil-galad glared at the unfortuanate youngsters.  Elros leapt at Norn again, barely restrained by Gil-galad.

                     "He started all this!  He killed Elrond!"

                     A murmur rippled through the older elves.  Gil-galad looked at Elros curiously.  "Killed Elrond?  Elaborate please."

                     "He dared Elrond to run across the tree that fell across the river, just when the floodwaters came that swept him over the waterfall!"

                     Gil-galad turned his piercing gaze to Norn, then looked pointedly at Glorfindel.  "Take Lindor and Erestor.  Find Elrond."  Glorfindel nodded and released Elros.  For his part, Elros didn't try to leap at Norn again.  "Norn?  Does Elros speak the truth?"

                     Norn stared defiantly at Gil-galad.  "No.  Elrond chose to cross the tree himself.  None of this was my doing.  I do not wish him dead."

                     Gil-galad turned to Thranduil.  "What do you have to say?  You've often been the voice of reason before."

                     Thranduil toyed with one of his blond braids.  "Sir, both lie, but not completely.  Elros is correct in saying that Norn dared Elrond to cross the tree, however, Norn is also correct in saying he did not wish Elrond dead, at least not with this dare.  I believe Norn wished Elrond to be humiliated, perhaps, but not dead.  None of them knew of the approaching floodwaters either.  There was no warning until it was too late."

                     Gil-galad smiled.  "Thank you, Thranduil, for speaking truly.  I believe you."

                     Coth spat at Gil-galad's feet.  "Yah, you always side with the half-breeds!  Why?  Wanting to get on their good sides now so when they're all grown up you can get in their beds?"

                     All present stared at Coth with shock on their faces.

                     "That, that was just low," Norn said matter-of-factly.

                     Anger flashed in Gil-galad's eyes, yet his voice remained smooth and calm.  "Elros, for five minutes, the rest of us will be oblivious to whatever you do."

                     Elros cracked his knuckles visciously.  "I won't even need three!"

                     True to his word, Gil-galad did not allow anyone to save Coth from Elros' sound thrashing.  In fact, it was Elrond who rescued the youth.  Glorfindel, Lindor, and Erestor returned, Elrond in Glorfindel's arms.  Elros left Coth immediately and was at Glorfindel's side.  "Is he dead?"

                     Glorfindel smiled and shook his head.  "No, Elros, Elrond is not dead, but quite water-logged.  He swallowed most of the river."  Elrond stirred and blinked at Elros, smiling sheepishly.  "Indeed, it is quite hard to kill this one.  Maybe it has to do with his half-elven nature, as you too are difficult to hurt."

                     Gil-galad winked at Glorfindel over Elros' head and spread his arms.  "Since no one was killed, and Coth has been suitably punished, in my opinion," Coth whimpered, "why don't we return to Rivendell?  No more playing around near the river until the flood has passed."

Uh, yeah, stupid little scene that's been stuck in my head for a while.

~Crawler