Folks, this story is not my fault! It is Kitsune's fault. Kitsune suggested that I should explain how Elrohir came to pour wine into Galadriel's Mirror. The minute I read that review, a story began to tell itself. It could not be stopped. I was merely the medium. I swear. Now, Joee, I know exactly what you are going to say: "Hey, why aren't you updating my story?" Joee, I swear, once I pry this rabid plot bunny's teeth from my fingers, I will promptly update 'Got Milk?'
Vocabulary
elleth—'elf maiden'
gwador-nîn—'my brother
laes—'baby'
Elrohir and Elladan looked at their grandmother Galadriel with awe as she walked toward them at the side of their grandfather Celeborn. She bore a light within her, so that even now, when the moon was yet new, the Lady of Lórien was bathed in a shimmering blue glow.
"Mae govannen, Celebrian."
Celeborn and Galadriel greeted their daughter Celebrian. She, too, radiated light, but it was of the new life that grew within her. Soon Elrohir and Elladan would have a sibling, and Celebrian had chosen to journey to Lothlórien so that her mother would be by her side when she gave birth to the little one.
Their grandparents smiled down upon the twins.
"Ah, you are growing apace," said Celeborn. "I would hardly recognize you if you were not in the company of your mother. I would have thought that you were two of the novices come back from patrolling the borders."
Elrohir and Elladan beamed with pride and squared their shoulders. Novices! Not elflings.
Celeborn and Galadriel linked arms with their daughter.
"We are going to talk a little with your mother," said Galadriel, "but you will not be neglected."
She beckoned toward a tree, and three elflings shyly sidled around to its front.
"Your cousins were not in Caras Galadhon when last you visited," she said to Elladan and Elrohir. These 'cousins' were not, of course, actually blood kin to Elladan and Elrohir, but their father had dwelt in Galadriel's household, and Galadriel had always treated his children as if they were her grandchildren.
"Come greet your kin from Imladris," she urged the three elflings, who at last approached. All three were as fair-haired as Elladan and Elrohir were dark.
"This," said Galadriel, pointing to one, "is Rúmil. And that one is Orophin. And that one Haldir. Haldir, Rúmil, Orophin, greet your cousins Elladan and Elrohir."
"Mae govannen," the three chorused. They stared at their cousins, and their cousins stared back. Galadriel laughed gently.
"I am sure that you will be able to entertain yourselves. Farewell."
The three older Elves strolled off to catch up on a decade's worth of doings great and small. The elflings remained where they were for some time, looking one another over. The birth of an elfling is a rare event, so it was uncommon for elflings of an age to gather in any great numbers.
Elrohir at last broke the silence, as might be expected. Of the two twins, he was ever the bolder.
"We can swim."
"So can we."
"We can ride."
"So can we."
"We can shoot."
"So can we."
An impasse had been reached. More silence. More staring. It was Haldir who at last broke it.
"Since we can all swim, mayhap we should."
Elladan and Elrohir looked at one another. Elladan shrugged.
"Very well," said Elrohir. "We have been traveling long. A swim would be pleasant. We," he added loftily, "have crossed the Misty Mountains."
"We have been to Greenwood," Rúmil shot back. "Have you?"
The twins had to admit that they had not. Their cousins gloated.
When they arrived at the pond, the elflings quickly stripped and frankly examined one another. Save for the difference in hair coloring, they were much alike. Haldir did have a red mark upon his hand.
"What's that?" asked Elrohir, pointing. "It looks like a healing wound."
Haldir shrugged. "I was born with this mark. Grandnana says that it marks me as a warrior," he added proudly.
Impressed, Elladan and Elrohir looked longingly at the birthmark and wished for one themselves. In its absence, however, they turned their attention to swimming. Both were known in Rivendell as excellent divers, and they meant to demonstrate their prowess to their cousins. Their cousins, however, were not to be outdone. The dives grew more and more elaborate, and they climbed higher and higher into the trees that overhung the pond. Deeper and deeper they plunged into the water, until at last they brushed against the bottom with each dive. It was at that point that they heard a shout. Their grandfather Celeborn was standing upon the bank looking at them reprovingly.
"Whatever are you doing?" he scolded. "That pond is too shallow for diving in such a fashion. One of you is going to break his neck. Come out at once!"
Abashed, the elflings climbed out upon the bank.
"When you have dressed, come at once to the festive clearing—Elladan and Elrohir, your cousins will show you where it is. Do not delay, for the festivities have already begun!"
Their spirits restored, the elflings hastily pulled on clothes over damp bodies and helped braid one another's hair. Then they raced for the clearing, Elladan and Elrohir at a disadvantage, of course, because they did not know its location. However, as soon as the twins spied the gathering Elves between the trees, they ran as hard as they could, nearly bowling over several smaller elflings in their frantic quest to beat their cousins into the clearing. This won them a reproving glance from their mother, but the satisfaction of seeing their cousins crestfallen.
It was a grand festival, with enough singing, dancing, and storytelling to satisfy the heart of any Elf. There was, moreover, an abundance of good things to eat and drink. The Lothlórien Elves had long known of the impending visit from their Imladris kin, and the cooks had been preparing for several days.
Galadriel moved—nay, she floated!—about the clearing. From time to time she would stop and fill an Elf's goblet, but it was her smile that made the Elves feel dizzy that night. Those upon whom it was bestowed felt as if miruvor ran through their veins.
At length Galadriel came to where the twins and their cousins were sitting with Celebrian and Celeborn.
"This wine has been lately sent as a gift from King Thranduil of Greenwood," she said to Celebrian.
"Ah, then it must be naught but the finest Dorwinion."
"It is indeed," replied Galadriel. "Thranduil has been most generous."
Galadriel filled the glasses of Celeborn and Celebrian and of the Lórien cousins and then made as if to pour wine into Elrohir's glass.
Celebrian covered the glass with her hand.
"Nay, mother. As yet the twins drink only watered wine."
The Lothlórien cousins looked triumphantly over at the twins, who, glowering, stared down at their plates. This would not do!
The next day, as was to be expected, the Lórien cousins were not slow in bringing up the matter. As they lazed about in the talan they were all sharing, Rúmil began to complain that he was thirsty.
"It is so hot today; let us go to the kitchen. Surely there will be some wine left over from yesterday."
Orophin put on a distressed face.
"Rúmil, how thoughtless of you! You know that our cousins are not allowed to drink wine."
"Oh, I am so sorry," Rúmil apologized profusely. "I should never have mentioned wine, knowing as I do that you cannot drink it."
This was quite enough for Elrohir.
"We do too drink wine! Our Ada lets us! 'Tis only our Nana who will not."
"Prove it," snorted Rúmil. "Drink some wine—in front of us, mind you, so you won't just say that you do when you don't!"
"Very well! Elladan and I will fetch wine from the kitchen, and we will return here to drink it in your presence!"
"We will anxiously await your return," replied Rúmil smugly.
Elrohir and Elladan promptly climbed down from the flet and headed straight for the kitchen. Ai! The Dorwinion wine had been very good, apparently. All the bottles were empty. At length, though, Elladan spied a half-filled goblet.
"This will have to do," grumbled Elrohir. "If we come back with nothing, we'll never hear the end of it."
Clutching the goblet, Elrohir set out for the talan, with Elladan trailing in his wake. Halfway there, however, they heard voices and laughter.
"Someone is coming," exclaimed Elladan in a panic. "They shall see us with the wine and tell our Nana!"
The two elflings looked about for a place to hide. Stone steps led down into a glade. Elladan grabbed Elrohir's tunic.
"Look! We can hide down there!"
The two elflings scampered down the steps. The voices and laughter drew nearer and the twins realized that they belonged to their Nana and Grandnana. Worse, they seemed to be heading straight for the steps that the elflings had just descended!
Appalled, Elrohir stared at the glass within his hands. Wildly he looked about the glade. Ah, a basin stood upon a pedestal. He scampered over to it and hastily poured the wine into the basin. The voices drew very close, and now Galadriel and Celebrian were descending the stone steps. When Galadriel saw the two elflings, she frowned.
"What are you doing in my Glade?" she demanded. "No one enters the Glade of Galadriel's Mirror without being bidden." Galadriel's light had suddenly darkened even as she seemed to grow in stature until she loomed over the elflings.
"We-we-we-are sorry, Grandnana," stammered Elrohir. "We did not know."
"Very well. Go then. And return that goblet to the kitchen where it belongs."
The two elflings edged past Galadriel and Celebrian and vanished up the steps.
When they were gone, Galadriel picked up a pitcher and filled it with spring water.
"I must warn you, my daughter, that the mirror may show you nothing. If it does show aught, the vision may be equivocal. But," she added, smiling, "I too hope that it will show a little elleth at play in the gardens of Imladris."
She poured the water into the basin as she spoke, looking at her daughter as she did so. Then she gestured for Celebrian to draw near. Her daughter did so and peered eagerly into the basin. At once she cried out in terror and flung her arms protectively over her belly.
"Blood! Blood! Oh, my laes, my poor laes."
Alarmed and perplexed, Galadriel drew near and gazed into the mirror. The smooth surface of the water was indeed scarlet, but this was not at all what the Lady of Lórien had seen in her mind. Her eyes narrowed. She dipped a finger into the water and tasted the liquid.
"'Tis not blood. 'Tis wine."
Celebrian stared at her, confused, and then the truth dawned.
"Elrohir was holding a goblet, was he not?"
"Aye. An empty goblet. But methinks it was emptied but lately."
"Very lately. I will see to this matter, Nana."
"Nay, 'tis my Mirror," said Galadriel grimly. "I will see to it."
"As you wish," assented Celebrian.
Shortly afterward, Elrohir and Elladan stood trembling before the Lady of Lórien.
"Why did you pour wine into my Mirror?" Galadriel demanded in her severest manner.
"To hide it," Elrohir answered miserably.
"Why did you wish to hide it?"
"Because," admitted Elladan, "we were not supposed to have it."
"Which you knew." This was a statement, not a question.
"Yes, Grandnana," said the twins, shamefaced.
"If you knew you were not to have wine, why did you take it?"
"To prove that we could drink it," answered Elrohir.
"To prove to whom?"
The twins hesitated and looked at each other. If they said that their cousins had dared them, it would sound as if they were trying to blame someone else for their own misbehavior. They reached an unspoken agreement.
"To prove something to ourselves," Elrohir said stoutly. Strictly speaking, this, while only a partial truth, was still no lie. The twins knew this, and so did Galadriel. She hid her smile as she recognized her own enigmatic voice in Elrohir's childish tones.
"And did you prove anything to yourselves?" she said gravely.
"Only that we were very foolish," answered Elladan, equally grave.
"A lesson that all must learn at some time. You may thank the Valar that you have learned it under such benign circumstances. Some learn it at the point of a sword."
The twins blanched.
"Go now to your talan. You will not attend tonight's feast, but you may rejoin the festivities tomorrow—and you will drink plain water for the remainder of your stay in Lothlórien."
The twins bowed and retreated, grateful that their punishment had been no worse. With relief they ascended their talan and threw themselves upon their pallets. They were both a little hungry, and with regret they heard the sound of distant laughter and singing, but they were not in the least tempted to slip from the talan in pursuit of food. There were worse things than being hungry, and braving their Grandnana's renewed anger was one of them.
As they lay on their backs staring up at the stars and brooding over the events of the last few days, they heard a slight rustling sound. Rolling over upon their stomachs, they looked toward the rope ladder that one used to ascend into the flet. Haldir's head popped up. He stepped onto the floor of the talan and was rapidly followed by Rúmil and Orophin.
"We thought you might be hungry," said Haldir, "for we did not see you at the feast."
The Lórien cousins drew forth food aplenty from their tunics, and Rúmil brought out a bottle. The twins looked doubtfully at the repast that was laid out before them.
"Won't Grandnana be angry if we eat any of this food?" asked Elladan hesitantly.
"What exactly did she say," asked Orophin. "Did she say that you were not to eat?"
Elladan and Elrohir looked at one another.
"No," said Elrohir, "she said that we were not to attend the feast."
"Aha!" crowed Rúmil. "Then you may eat—just as long as you do not attend the feast!"
Apparently it was not only the Rivendell cousins who had inherited skill at enigmatic speaking. Each set of brothers grinned at the other.
"But," Elladan put in around a mouthful of bread, "we had better not have anything to drink from that bottle!"
"Why ever not?" said Rúmil insouciantly.
He uncorked the bottle and took a long pull.
"After all," he continued, "it's nothing but the finest—spring water."
Smiling, he passed the bottle on to Elrohir, who took a drink and handed the bottle to his brother.
"Rúmil is right; this spring water is excellent."
"Of course it is," teased Rúmil. "It is Lórien spring water."
Elrohir threw a chunk of cheese at him, and Rúmil reciprocated with a hunk of bread. Soon all manner of foods were flying through the air. When they at last ran out of missiles, the talan looked as if it had been the scene of a troll party.
"Whatever shall we tell Grandnana?" gasped Elladan and Haldir in unison.
"Well," declared Rúmil, "whatever we tell her, there will be no doubt this time that all of us are responsible and should share in the punishment."
Rúmil and Elrohir smiled at one another.
"Aye, gwador-nîn," said Elrohir. "We are all in this together."
"Share and share alike," agreed Orophin.
"All for one and one for all," declaimed Elladan.
"I think," intoned Haldir, "this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
The other elflings stared at him.
"Haldir," Elrohir asked, "are you always this sententious?" (This was a word he had lately learned from Erestor, his tutor, and he had been looking for an opportunity to show it off.)
"Yes," replied Rúmil. "He is."
"Am not!"
"Are too," giggled Rúmil, flinging a pillow at him.
With that, once again the air of the talan was filled with flying objects, and the elflings did not stop until there was nothing left to throw, thus proving, of course, that Haldir was right: This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.