One Summer in Rivendell

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. The theme is based on Much ado About Nothing which was written by Shakespeare not me!

Summery- Legolas and the King return from war with the intentions of having a peaceful summer, things do not go to plan. Chaos, romance, trickery and misunderstanding ensue.

Thanks to:

Daydreamer 22688

Cerridwen : I don't think I'll be following the play so closely from now on, this has kind of taken on a life of it's own! Any way hope you are enjoying the play!

Cold Crystal Tears: Yes and I am updating again without telling you!!! He he - I will time how long it takes you to notice this time!

Gionareth: *Lines up behind the rest of the people who want to slap Arwen* Sure! I will gladly slap her for even suggesting such a thing! Thanks for reviewing! :)

Taraisilwen: I suppose she is not very much like Tolkien's Arwen! Glad you like the story, thanks for reviewing!

Kit Cloudkicker: Hopefully they will be - we shall see! Thanks for reviewing!

Vikki: No I will not tell you! You are so impatient!! *frowns* Honestly!

Chapter 8

Elladan watched the regular rise and fall of Hero's chest. How he hated himself more than ever, for it was his fault that Hero was here. Yet another surely put to death for his failings in his character. Why did he always have to be in control?

His brother was of little help to him. Once again his eyes were cast downwards unable to meet his brother's gaze and greet the failure mirrored in it. "Hero forgive us... we were only doing what we thought was best. We didn't want to lose you."

Elladan's words sounded pathetic in comparison to the bad deeds they had performed and would offer little comfort to all that they had caused to be hurt by their actions. Elrohir snorted. "What do you mean by that?" Elladan asked.

"What is the point, there is no undoing what has been done." He said wisely. "No words spoken by you will rouse our sister. We have killed her as much as we are the reason that mother left."

Elladan stood and paced Hero's chamber. "There must be a way to rouse her." He said. " I will not stand by idly and watch grief take her."

"That is something that is now beyond our control. Whether she lives now is up to the grace of the Valar. We play no part in it." He hung his head. "Indeed we should be sent to Mandos for the foul deeds we have allowed ourselves to undertake." He cleared his throat. "I know that you believe yourself to be the wisest of the two of us.... but listen to me now brother and know my words to be true...... It is best that we leave Rivendell.... It is best that we live out our days alone and without causing any more threat or harm to any others..... know this to be true."

Elladan allowed a single tear to fall down his cheek as he took Hero's hand in his for the last time. "Rest well my dear sister." He said. "And know that your brother, who will have departed from here, if ever you should wake, thought only for the best and loves you with all of his heart and is sorry for what has befallen you with the entirety of his soul."

Elrohir took her other hand and whispered. "As is this brother."

For a moment the twins met each other's gaze. A quiet understanding passed between them.

"Farewell." Elladan whispered into his sister's ear.

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Aragorn turned back to face his childhood home. It was now merely haze in the distance. He already longed to be back there. He longed for the last few days to never have happened. He urged his horse onwards.

"Where are we going?" Boromir asked at his side.

"To Mirkwood." Aragorn replied bluntly.

"For what reason?" Faramir asked.

"I have some unfinished business with my friend the Prince." Aragorn answered.

"Forgive me, Aragorn but your tone is cold.... what is this unfinished business?" Boromir enquired.

"A task I wish was not mine." He replied solemnly. It occurred to him what an impossible situation he was in. He knew in his heart that he would not be able to slay his friend. Yet it seemed now impossible not to now that he knew that he had the love of the Evenstar and it was the only task that would prevent them living a happy future together if it were not to be undertaken. He sighed. Aragorn was not a murderer, yet a murderer he would have to be to keep his love. "Impossible" He muttered.

"What is?" Faramir asked.

"Everything." Aragorn replied. "Indeed I thought the war with Mordor was a battle of monstrous proportions!" He sighed again, it was nothing in comparison to the battle that was taking place in his heart at that moment.

"The war with Mordor was a battle of monstrous proportions!" Boromir exclaimed. Quite fearing his cousin had gone mad. He met Faramir's gaze and a bemused look passed between them.

"What ails the King?" Faramir asked.

"A battle of monstrous proportions." He replied flatly.

Faramir started. "I do not understand is there to be another war?" He asked.

"NO!" Aragorn yelled. "It is not that kind of war!" He pointed to his head. "This war is between this." He then pointed to his heart. "And this." He sighed. "This war is between what I know is right and wrong and over what I know must be done and what should not be done!"

Faramir blinked.

"And yet I must do it or lose the love of the Evenstar." Aragorn finished.

Boromir gasped. "I was not aware that you even had the love of the Evenstar?"

"Neither, dear cousin was I until yesterday evening." He shook his head. "And to prove my love, the lady has requested that I kill Legolas to avenge Hero."

"Aragorn, you must not." Faramir cried.

"Indeed, Aragorn, please do not tell me that you intend to go through with this?" Boromir said with concern. "You are a King... you cannot just go about killing whomever you choose!"

"I know this." Aragorn replied. "But I doubt very much that I could live without the Evenstar now." It was decided. He would avenge Hero at the cost of his friend's life. It would take two weeks to reach Mirkwood.

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Two days later.....

Gimli son of Gloin, had never believed himself to be a particularly romantic dwarf. Indeed there was little time for romance to fit into his busy schedule. He had never been in love. He had never wished to fall in love. However, as he sat in the in of the Rising Sun on the outskirts of the supposed elven realm of Rivendell. He swore that the tale he had just overheard was enough to make even the harshest of grown up dwarves cry. In fact it had put him off his ale.

The elven twins were quite a sight to behold. Both had hair so dark it was almost black, both had eyes as green as newly sprung grass, they did not look real to him.

It appeared that the brothers had left their homes in the fair elven city, disgraced. They had by calamity and mis-intention destroyed their younger sister's life and had more than likely caused her death. That was sad but not the saddest part of their tale.

"I believe that we shall never return." He heard one of them say. "Even now I feel grief tugging at my heart and I long to fall to darkness and never awake to see a fair sunrise again."

The other merely nodded.

"Our quest now is to find a place to die." He continued. "It would be for the best if we were forgotten to this world. Aye, on Middle Earth we shall stay. The elves of the grey haven would not welcome us."

The other twin... whom Gimli perceived to be the weakest of the two said nothing.

"Who ever would have thought the sons of Elrond would end up like this?"

Gimli was a well-learned dwarf. He was not particularly fond of Elves but even he knew that Lord Elrond was a well-to-do Elf. The twins sad story had pulled at a part of his heart that up until that point he did not know that he possessed. He could not let them leave this dingy inn without a small attempt to save them.

Mentally he calculated how long it would take for him to reach Rivendell, bearing in mind that he did not know exactly where it was. He deducted it would take three days at most. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a potion that he had acquired from a witch several days before. He had planned to use it to knock out some trolls and steal their gold, but this he decided was a better cause.

He approached the bar and ordered two glasses of the finest wine he could afford and discreetly poured the foul-smelling potion into the glasses. "Hope this works!" He muttered before approaching the elves' table.

"Good evening Masters." He said wearily. "I am sorry to interrupt, but I overheard your sad tale and thought perhaps that you would like to have these."

The Twins regarded him with distrust. Gimli cleared his throat. "Any way I'll leave you to it."

He retreated back to his table and watched with delight as the two elves drank the entire glasses of wine. He sighed, it would be an hour or so before the potion would effect them. He only hoped that they would not stray far from the inn. He did not posses a horse and was not light of foot as they were. Luckily for him the unfortunate elves did not leave their table, and fell asleep right there. Now his only problem was getting them outside and carrying them to Rivendell. He was strong. He was sure he could manage one on each shoulder.

The innkeeper regarded the elves with disgust. "I thought them elves was supposed to be elegant and stuff." He remarked. "I ain't seen no one as drunk as this for years.... Look they've clean passed out!" Gimli stood and went to his aid.

"I think a bit of fresh air will sort them out!" He said and lifted one on each shoulder. The Innkeeper watched as the most bizarre sight he had ever encountered unfolded before his eyes.

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The journey to Rivendell had been a lot more arduous than Gimli had expected and the elven princes a lot heavier than he thought they would be. He placed them down roughly and knocked twice on the heavy wooden gates. "Curse elves and their damn security." He muttered. Indeed, he was there only to do them a favour and it had taken him far too long to find this rather beautiful place.

He sighed as he glanced at the twins bedraggled appearance. It was most unlikely that a dwarf of his stature could carry two six foot elves and not drag them through the odd puddle or muddy path. The twins were no where near as elegant or beautiful as they were when he had first encountered them. In fact it would be quite easy for one to mistake them for humans in the state they were in. He shrugged. At least they were alive. Lord Elrond, he was sure would be grateful for that.

"OI!" He yelled. "Am I to be left standing here all day? I have a matter of much import to speak to Lord Elrond about."

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"A dwarf?" Elrond said exasperated. Indeed it seemed to be so that his children intended to be the end of him. "Are you telling me that my sons were carried home unconscious by a dwarf?"

"It appears to be so." The guard replied. "One Gimli Son of Gloin."

"At least it was a dwarf of some name!" Elrond said. "Lead me to them." He followed the guard swiftly, pausing momentarily outside Hero's chamber. Upon seeing no change in her condition he continued on.

The dwarf looked exhausted, the smaller creature's shoulders sagged with fatigue and the small part of his face above the beard was pale.

"Gimli, Son of Gloin? Do tell me how it is that my sons have ended up in this state."

Gimli stood. "First of all I think it would be courteous to offer a dwarf a drink, seeing that he has been travelling these past two days with one of your sons on each shoulder in search of your precious Rivendell?" He said aggressively.

Elrond raised an eyebrow.

"But then you elves have never been known for your manners have you?"

Elrond resisted the urge to become angry at the dwarfs impertinence and offered him an elven draft to replenish his strength. He watched in disgust as the dwarf drank it noisily.

"Pray, now will you tell me how my sons came to be in this predicament?"

Gimli sat down and recited the entire story that he had overheard the Twins speak.

Elrond said nothing at first but Gimli was sure he saw the beginnings of tears in the Elf's eyes. "Is that the truth?" He said with awe.

"That is what I overheard I swear on Eru himself." Gimli replied.

"Well then all of this is my fault!" Elrond wailed. "For if I had made them believe that their mother's passing was not their fault...... and now fair Hero suffers because of it.... How did I allow for this to happen?"

Gimli shrugged.

"Thank you for bringing me this ill news." He said listlessly. "Rivendell is your home for as long as you desire it to be."

Gimli nodded with gratitude, although his heart called to the caves he was born in. Rivendell was entirely too light and airy for his tastes.

Elrond turned to a guard. "Where is Arwen? Bring her forth to me." He ordered.

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