Rain In Rivendell
Disclaimer: still not mine, although Alfirin is.
Thanks to:
Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – you have your wish; chapter 6 is here!
Cerridwen-Evereven – I couldn't resist the dye. The reason Elrond didn't think to check the doorway is simply because he was too preoccupied with the council and wasn't really paying attention to what his sons could be doing (which is never a good thing, and I'm sure he hasn't let it happen since!!)
lucidity – hang on in there; the mushrooms are coming! All in good time (patience is a virtue and all that)
mirielle – Arwen won't *actually* kill them, although she still has a part to play!
silivren – Arwen will reappear soon. Legolas will appear, but only briefly (although I agree that it's always funnier if it's the twins, Legolas and Estel) – I think I said in some previous author's notes that Thranduil's there, so he'll be keeping a close eye on his son if the twins are around
Zammy – the trouble isn't over yet! There's this, plus 2 more chapters and an epilogue to go still!
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Chapter 6
"Do you still think it wise to carry out the mushroom prank?"
"It is too late now. They will have been mixed into Ada's food by now. It is but half an hour to dinner, and it would take far too long for Alfirin and the other kitchen staff to make a fresh meal now. Why? It is unusual for you of all people to back out of a prank."
"I was merely thinking that perhaps we have done enough for one day."
"You do not wish for a lecture from King Thranduil."
"That too."
"I can see your point."
"Although we can hardly be in more trouble than we are already in, so I suppose that really, it matters not what else we do."
"What is done is done and cannot be reversed."
"Exactly."
"We should change. Again. For the fifth time."
Elrohir nodded. "I shall see you shortly." He left his twin's bedroom for his own and removed his best clothes, carefully wrapped to keep them nice, from the wardrobe. As he did so, an anguished howl emanated from Elladan's room and Elrohir hurriedly tossed his still-wrapped clothes onto the bed, flying into his brother's room. "What has happened?"
Elladan held up his best clothes. They were wrinkled and crumpled, multiple colours of dye intermingling in the threads of the delicate outfit. "I do not know how it could have happened!" he wailed. "Ada will be furious and it truly is not my fault! They were untarnished this morning when I checked on them!"
"But how…?"
Elladan shrugged miserably. "I cannot tell you, for I have no ideas."
Elrohir was suddenly aware of a sense of nervousness growing in his stomach. "I shall be back in a moment," he said as he slipped back into his room and hesitantly, apprehensively, unwrapped his own clothes.
The same sight greeted his eyes as it had done when he had seen Elladan's. He, too, howled in dismay.
The same?" inquired Elladan from the doorway. Elrohir simply nodded, unable to speak.
"How could this have happened?"
Elrohir shrugged helplessly. "I cannot think…Oh. Oh!" His eyes widened as an idea came to him and he met his twin's gaze, realisation dawning upon them simultaneously. "Arwen!" they chorused.
Elladan set his mouth. "She will regret this. Oh, she will regret this."
"We must not act immediately," Elrohir warned.
"Lull her into a false sense of security," agreed his twin. "Then, when she believes this incident to have been forgotten about, we strike. Hard."
Elrohir smiled in satisfaction. "Revenge will be all the sweeter for the long wait."
"It will be worth it."
"Definitely. Now, let us find our second-best outfits. Ada will not, I hope, mind too much."
"There is nothing we can do if he does mind. We could always drop the odd comment into the conversation if he asks, and watch Arwen squirm. That would be good revenge. Although I do prefer the 'biding our time' option."
"Then we shall do that."
Satisfied with their planned course of action, Elrohir departed for his own room and the twins prepared themselves for dinner. Their second-best outfits were, fortunately, unscathed, and the twins put those on, relieved. Their sister would suffer for her actions (they conveniently forgot about the reason for Arwen's prank).
Once dressed, they awaited their summons to dinner and, for once, were solemn and serious. They greeted their father and his guests in the same manner and most visibly relaxed, suspecting nothing. Elrond, however, was nervous. Very nervous.
No, not very nervous.
More along the lines of completely and utterly terrified.
He knew from past experience that the more innocent and solemn the twins appeared, the worse the mischief they had done or were about to do. He hoped that it was the former and not the latter. For I cannot cope with more trouble from them, he thought wearily.
The twins glanced at their father and then at King Thranduil. Both bore a distinctly greenish tinge to their skin and Thranduil's normally golden hair was damp, with a visibly green shimmer to it. They glanced at Legolas, who struggled to mask a grin. He looked at them as though to say, How did you manage it? The twins returned his look with their own that clearly said, Tell you later. Legolas nodded. He could wait.
"Let us hope that this meal shall pass without incident," said Elrond as they stood at their places, looking hard at the twins, who put on their best innocent expressions. This served only to increase Elrond's already-growing unease. He really did not like those expressions upon his offspring's faces. Arwen, on the other hand, appeared rather satisfied about something, particularly when she glanced at her brothers, who were, Elrond finally noticed, dressed in their second-best outfits. He frowned. I thought I requested they wear their best outfits…?Oh. I wonder…Perhaps Arwen has something to do with that? He would postpone the discussion with his daughter until later.
"How is the council going, Ada?" asked Elladan as Alfirin appeared with a trolley bearing the starter, nodding slightly at Elrohir. Elladan deliberately avoided looking at his twin, sat on the other side of their father.
"It is progressing," replied Elrond tightly. Thranduil narrowed his eyes in the direction of the twins, clearly suspecting their hand in the bucket incident.
"Oh. Good. I am glad to hear it."
Elrond made a strange noise in his throat, rather like a strangled growl. Elladan, perhaps wisely, opted against pursuing the issue further.
"Have there been any sightings of orcs near Rivendell's perimeter?" inquired Elrohir.
"You two have hunted enough orcs for the time being."
"But Ada, they are the reason for Amme's departure to Valinor!"
"Can we kindly not discuss this issue at the dinner table?"
Elrohir subsided. "Sorry, Ada."
Elrond turned to Haldir. "Haldir, my friend. What news from Lothlórien?"
The discussion turned to the realm of the twins' grandparents and they spoke no more for the time being.
Soon the main course was brought out and the twins tensed. This was arguably the biggest prank of the day. They also worried that the mushrooms may accidentally have found their way into the food of others as well as that of their father – as the dish comprised partly of mushrooms of various kinds, there was no way of telling. In some ways this was a good thing, as Elrond discovering mushrooms in his meal whilst no other did, would appear very suspicious indeed. The mushrooms would, by Elrohir's reckoning, take approximately half an hour to have any kind of effect on Elrond.
As dessert (not apple pie again, fortunately) was brought in, Elrohir had to fight hard not to let his guilt show. It was approximately half an hour since the serving of the main course, so the mushrooms would be beginning to take effect at any moment…
"…so perhaps we could arrange a date and location?" said Thranduil.
Elrond frowned, tilting his head to one side. "Hmmm."
"Lord Elrond? Is there something bothering you?"
"You Majesty, I must ask you something."
"Oh?"
"Why is there a giant green and purple bee sitting atop your head?"
Silence abruptly fell as all other conversations stopped. Thranduil stared in astonishment at Elrond. "Excuse me?"
"Surely you must be aware of it."
Thranduil blinked. "Are you perhaps feeling ill, my lord?"
"Why should I? You are the one in danger from a giant bee-sting."
Thranduil turned a piercing look to the twins, who feigned all innocence. Thranduil, having only spent limited time with them, was taken in by the act. He wondered if it was perhaps the fault of the kitchen staff – Arwen would not pull a stunt like this, and if she were to do so, it would likely be that her brothers were the targets and not her father.
"Oh, you need not worry any longer. It has flown out of the window." Elrond frowned suddenly. "Why is the room spinning?"
Elladan grinned. This was too good an opportunity to resist. "Perhaps you have had a little too much to drink, Ada?" he suggested wickedly. "It is, after all, Mirkwood wine – something that is far stronger than that of Rivendell."
"No, no. It cannot be that, for I have had but two glasses."
"It takes at least six to get him significantly intoxicated," added Thranduil – then wished he had not done so, for the twins' eyes lit up with a look that made the King of Mirkwood horribly uneasy. It was extremely unwise to impart such information to this particular pair. Thranduil knew that he would regret saying those words, at some point in the (most likely not-too-distant) future.
Elrond's eyes widened. "Duck! Duck!" he yelled. "There is a swarm of giant insects and they are coming this way! Shut the windows! Shut the windows!" When none obliged, he raced over to aforementioned windows and slammed them shut. "We must protect ourselves!"
Legolas, the twins and Arwen were in fits of giggles, Arassuil was losing his battle to suppress his rising laughter, Haldir and Erestor were doing likewise, Thranduil was struggling to maintain his composure and the rest of the guests were in various stages of bewilderment.
Thranduil stood as Elrond grabbed a nearby chair in an attempt to "fight off the approaching oliphaunts". The Mirkwood royal wrenched the chair from Elrond's grasp and threw him rather roughly to the floor. "My lord, perhaps you should rest for a while. Elladan may be right – maybe you have had a little too much alcohol. It has, after all, been some time since you last consumed Mirkwood wine; perhaps your tolerance to it has been somewhat lowered. Come with me."
"But the oliphaunts –" Elrond protested.
"I am sure the twins are more than capable of defending Rivendell from a herd of stampeding oliphaunts," cut in Thranduil firmly, shooting a look at the twins that clearly said, I know you two are at the centre of this somehow. He hauled Elrond off to his rooms and the remaining occupants of the room calmed. Arassuil examined his wine closely, somewhat apprehensively. "I think I shall stick to water for the remainder of this meal," he declared.
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~TBC~
Elvish translations:
Alfirin – small, white, everlasting flower
A/N: apologies if the hallucination scene was a bit below standard, but I wasn't really sure how to write it (or indeed have much of an idea as to what hallucinations Elrond could have)
