"Did you not see?!" Elladan cried. His arms and hands were spread wide with frustration. "Their ropes became serpents before our very eyes!"
Elrond's fingers were pressed to his temples. "It is mere earth- magic, Elladan, nothing more. We use it here in Rivendell. You know that..."
"Serpents, Father!"
"Poisonous ones, at that."
They both jumped back, startled at the third voice. "Haldir! We had not seen you there..." He sat on the wide windowsill overlooking the river. "How did you get up here, anyway?" Elrond quirked an amused brow. "My chamber door is locked."
Elladan wore a smirk. "He flew. Such is the mysterious way of the March Warden of Lothlorien! Eh, Haldir?" He winked.
Haldir gave him a peculiar look before answering. "Your walls have nurtured a healthy bit of vine there over the centuries. ...I thought you'd better be aware of the ease at which this room of yours can be infiltrated...Perhaps by an enemy?" He said simply, his voice matter-of-factly.
"Very well. It shall be dealt with."
"Where were we?" Elladan put in.
"Poisonous snakes." Reminded Haldir. He looked rather bored.
"Ah, yes..."
"Father, at least call up the guard! They refuse to come within the city walls...There they are..." His feet carried him to Haldir's window. "Camped in their tents of black tarp... Like some party about to lay siege." He swung around to face his father. "I don't trust them!"
"Hush, boy." Elrond's countenance was angry. "I made a promise in those invitations. Each and every one of them. I told them that, during Gathering, Rivendell would not raise one single arm against anyone. We are at peace with all. I intend to keep my word..."
"At least until the last possible moment." Haldir added for him, slipping down to the floor from his perch like a cat.
"Yes..." There was an awkward silence. "Haldir, what is it you've come here for?"
To Elrond's immediate surprise, the pale-haired elf smiled. "To offer my services..." He held up an unfamiliar black shafted, black- feathered arrow and twirled it in his fingers.
Elrond felt his skin bristle. He swallowed. "For what, may I ask...?"
"To guard your life, lord of Imladris." He arched an ivory-colored brow. "It is what the Lady wishes, for these are... times of unease." His stormy grey eyes narrowed. "You can, of course, refuse... But that would not make much of a difference."
Elrond nodded. His brain felt quite numb. "If the Lady Galadriel feels the need to take such cautious measures, then I see no harm in accepting."
"Good." Haldir bowed then slipped out the window again into the night.
"Strange one, he is... So mysterious." Said Elladan thoughtfully when he had gone. "So mysterious..."
"Yes..." Elrond agreed absently. Haldir's face was still vivid in his mind's eye. The gentle curve of his cheek and jaw, his pointed chin... the devilish gleam that danced in his grey eyes that always put Elrond on edge... He wondered vaguely if Haldir was aware of it, or of the power that he held over him.
"Then again," continued Elladan, oblivious to his father's reverie, "That is always the way of Lorien Elves... They always seem two steps ahead of the rest of us, and always leave you wondering what things go on in those minds of theirs."
"Yes... it does." And Elrond smiled.
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Chibi Legolas: Wuhaaaaa! This is fun! ^_^ What a snooty, snooty elf... *grinz*
Elrond's fingers were pressed to his temples. "It is mere earth- magic, Elladan, nothing more. We use it here in Rivendell. You know that..."
"Serpents, Father!"
"Poisonous ones, at that."
They both jumped back, startled at the third voice. "Haldir! We had not seen you there..." He sat on the wide windowsill overlooking the river. "How did you get up here, anyway?" Elrond quirked an amused brow. "My chamber door is locked."
Elladan wore a smirk. "He flew. Such is the mysterious way of the March Warden of Lothlorien! Eh, Haldir?" He winked.
Haldir gave him a peculiar look before answering. "Your walls have nurtured a healthy bit of vine there over the centuries. ...I thought you'd better be aware of the ease at which this room of yours can be infiltrated...Perhaps by an enemy?" He said simply, his voice matter-of-factly.
"Very well. It shall be dealt with."
"Where were we?" Elladan put in.
"Poisonous snakes." Reminded Haldir. He looked rather bored.
"Ah, yes..."
"Father, at least call up the guard! They refuse to come within the city walls...There they are..." His feet carried him to Haldir's window. "Camped in their tents of black tarp... Like some party about to lay siege." He swung around to face his father. "I don't trust them!"
"Hush, boy." Elrond's countenance was angry. "I made a promise in those invitations. Each and every one of them. I told them that, during Gathering, Rivendell would not raise one single arm against anyone. We are at peace with all. I intend to keep my word..."
"At least until the last possible moment." Haldir added for him, slipping down to the floor from his perch like a cat.
"Yes..." There was an awkward silence. "Haldir, what is it you've come here for?"
To Elrond's immediate surprise, the pale-haired elf smiled. "To offer my services..." He held up an unfamiliar black shafted, black- feathered arrow and twirled it in his fingers.
Elrond felt his skin bristle. He swallowed. "For what, may I ask...?"
"To guard your life, lord of Imladris." He arched an ivory-colored brow. "It is what the Lady wishes, for these are... times of unease." His stormy grey eyes narrowed. "You can, of course, refuse... But that would not make much of a difference."
Elrond nodded. His brain felt quite numb. "If the Lady Galadriel feels the need to take such cautious measures, then I see no harm in accepting."
"Good." Haldir bowed then slipped out the window again into the night.
"Strange one, he is... So mysterious." Said Elladan thoughtfully when he had gone. "So mysterious..."
"Yes..." Elrond agreed absently. Haldir's face was still vivid in his mind's eye. The gentle curve of his cheek and jaw, his pointed chin... the devilish gleam that danced in his grey eyes that always put Elrond on edge... He wondered vaguely if Haldir was aware of it, or of the power that he held over him.
"Then again," continued Elladan, oblivious to his father's reverie, "That is always the way of Lorien Elves... They always seem two steps ahead of the rest of us, and always leave you wondering what things go on in those minds of theirs."
"Yes... it does." And Elrond smiled.
-----------------___________-------------------___________------------------
Chibi Legolas: Wuhaaaaa! This is fun! ^_^ What a snooty, snooty elf... *grinz*