Rain In Rivendell

Disclaimer: see previous

Thanks to:

lucidity – You get the virtual chocolate! And messing with Gandalf is never advisable: "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger" (someone in FotR, but I can't remember who)

Radioactive Bubblegum – when certain twins get hold of fireworks, be afraid. Be very afraid! *scary music begins playing in the background…*

Cerridwen-Evereven – you say Arwen's very good at causing mischief…where do you think she learned it all?! ;)

mirielle – yep. Six times. I counted. At some point. Regarding fireworks, scroll to the very bottom of this installment (to the author's notes) and you'll find my source of inspiration…

Lutris – you and mirielle are on the same wavelength. Rivendell beware!!!

Estel Elven Enchantress – if the people in Rivendell were, at this point in time, paying any attention whatsoever to the twins' activities (like they really should be doing), they'd get the same feeling as you…And you really would have thought that Gandalf would have learned by now to never leave fireworks where bored twins could lay hands on them…

Lord Elrond of Hogwarts – Gandalf won't be the only one putting on a firework display…

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Chapter 8

"Ada still sleeps."

"Do you think he will wake in time for the fireworks?"

"No idea. Perhaps someone will wake him."

"Not a task I intend to carry out."

"Nor I. Thranduil can do so."

"I agree."

"Now, about those fireworks…Where do you suppose Gandalf keeps them?"

"No idea. Most likely close by to him."

"Hmph." Elladan scowled. "We must obtain some."

"What exactly do you plan to do with them, once you have them?"

"Wait and see."

"In other words, you currently have no idea."

Elladan feigned hurt. "Brother, you wound me."

Elrohir rolled his eyes very inelegantly. "Liar."

Elladan began walking swiftly towards where he knew the wizard was staying during his time in Rivendell. "Quiet now. We do not – well, I at any rate do not – wish to arouse attention."

"Have we not been here before, earlier today?" muttered Elrohir rhetorically.

"Hush!"

The twins fell into silence as they made their way along the halls, encountering none (which caused them no end of relief), until they reached Gandalf's room. The wizard was currently not within, so Elladan crept in. Elrohir stood on guard, just in case. After all, one could never be too careful, particularly with wizards, especially with Gandalf, 'a grumpy old codger', to quote some who shall remain nameless here.

It was not long before Elladan was finished, so the twins scurried off down the halls to their own rooms.

Unfortunately, Elrond had woken. The twins skidded to a halt in front of their father, doing their utmost to hide their guilt. "A-Ada," croaked Elladan. "You – you are awake."

Elrond nodded, somewhat dazedly. "I must find the correct papers for the council; they appear to have been mislaid."

"How are you feeling?" asked Elrohir, carefully steering the topic away from any direct reference to their misdeeds, just in case they were to be found out.

"My head hurts," answered Elrond. "Distinctly. It must have been the wine. Too strong. I thought it tasted slightly odd, though I did not wish to mention it at the table, for courtesy's sake."

Elrohir recalled that his father had had very little of his wine before the main course. It appears that we may get away with this one, he thought in relief. "Gandalf is putting on a firework display later."

"You think I do not know of this?"

"Er…"

Elrond shook his head, smiling. "Do not worry, ion nîn. There are more important things to worry over – such as the whereabouts of those documents."

"If you'll excuse us, Ada, we must be going," said Elrohir hastily, seizing Elladan's arm and dragging him away from their father before he could get suspicious (though that was probably unlikely in his current state – but the younger twin was not taking any risks).

"Elladan?"

They froze, and Elladan turned around nervously to face Elrond. "Yes, Ada?"

"What do you have in that bag?"

"What? Oh…er…"

"Bedsheets," Elrohir offered.

"Bedsheets?"

"Aye. Bedsheets." He hurried off with his twin close behind, leaving their father muttering about bedsheets with a very confused expression on his face.

They returned to Elladan's room and shut the door. For added security, Elladan wedged a chair under the doorhandle. "Just in case."

"So what do we do with the fireworks?" asked Elrohir in a low voice, leaning forward across the bed.

"How about a skylight for the green conference room?" Elladan's eyes glittered wickedly.

"Elladan! Do you not think we have done enough in and around that room for one day?"

"Perhaps the dining room, then…"

"Already has one. Courtesy of Arwen pushing you through the roof."

"We cannot give Ada's office one…"

"Don't you dare!"

"I wasn't going to! Relax, will you?"

"Sorry."

"Perhaps Erestor's room?"

Elrohir grinned. "I like it!"

"Come on, then!" Elladan removed the chair from underneath the doorhandle, then opened the door. He found Elrohir's hand clamped firmly over his arm. "What?"

"Not yet! Erestor may be in there, and also we would be far better waiting until Gandalf sets off the rest of the fireworks! Do you wish to be caught?!"

"No."

"Then wait!"

Elladan huffed, but put the bag containing the fireworks down on the floor anyway. It was not worth the risk. He picked up a book and began reading. Elrohir went to stand at the window, gazing out across his home through the still torrential rain. Will it never let up? he thought irritably. The twins had planned an orc-hunting trip, but in this weather it was simply impossible – the rain would wash away the tracks so that not even Arassuil would be able to follow them.

Just before nine o'clock, Arwen knocked on the door. "The fireworks are due to start in a few minutes," she informed them.

"We shall be there shortly," Elladan called back. He grabbed the bag, and her and Elrohir carefully made their way along the hall to Erestor's room. The seneschal was already at the fireworks (the observers were gathered on a sheltered balcony not too far from Erestor's room), so the wrongdoers were safe for the time being.

Elladan grinned as he emptied the bag's contents out onto the floor. There were three small fireworks and a huge orange one that resembled a lobster*. Elladan held up the latter, beaming. "This one will do nicely," he decided, putting the others away. "Plus some other, smaller ones. Naturally."

"How exactly do you plan to set them off?" asked Elrohir. "If we were outside, it would not be a problem."

Elladan pointed to a small table. "You get that one and I'll get the other one. We wedge it between the two. The others are freestanding."

Shaking his head, Elrohir nevertheless did so. "It is on your head if something goes wrong," he muttered.

"Will you relax?" hissed Elladan. "Nothing will go wrong. Trust me."

"That is exactly why I am worried. Anyway, how will you light them?"

"Candle." The older son of Elrond pointed to the candle that was burning on the desk.

"Oh."

Firework wedged in position, Elladan confidently picked up the candle and lit the touchpaper, carefully connecting the shorter touchpapers of the freestanding fireworks to it, before returning the candle to the desk, grabbing his bag and stepping out of the room. "We should join the others. It will take at least a minute for that one to burn up – by which time we shall have rock-hard alibis."

They ran.

"So nice of you to join us," commented Glorfindel as the twins skidded to a halt on the balcony. "The fireworks are just about to start."

"Sorry; Elrohir had to brush his hair," replied Elladan. "He's been hanging around too much with those prissy Wood-elves."

"I resent that!" objected Legolas from nearby. "Were I in my own home I would throw something at you!"

"That is precisely why I said it."

Legolas was about to say something in response to that when the first firework was set off and the crowd ooooh-ed as it exploded in the sky, showering the whole of Rivendell with reds, yellows, greens and blues.

Moments later a huge explosion came from behind them. Everyone looked confused and turned to look as a huge golden dragon appeared in the sky, heading straight towards them. Elladan swore. His twin elbowed him and gave him a meaningful look. They knew what it really was.

"Take cover!" Thranduil ordered, unable to completely mask his panic, particularly as several other ear-splitting bangs sounded from a similar area to the previous explosion, and multicoloured shapes (and various pieces of what looked suspiciously like pieces of roof) erupted into the sky.

"It's only a firework!" yelled Gandalf as the Elves and Men began panicking. "Stay where you are, for it will do you NO HARM WHATSOEVER!" A short, sharp blast was emitted from his staff.

The crowd stopped.

"But who set it off?" asked Glorfindel, confused. "You certainly did not."

"That is correct." The wizard's sharp eyes scanned the crowd. "But I rather think I know who did." His gaze was firmly settled upon two identical dark-haired Elves.

"I should have known," Glorfindel muttered, following the wizard's gaze and glaring at the sons of Elrond. "Who else?"

"Where is Erestor?" asked Thranduil. "He was here a moment ago."

The twins did not dare look at each other.

Moments later the King of Mirkwood's question was answered as a furious Erestor appeared. "WHO LIT A FIREWORK IN MY BEDROOM?" he demanded. "THERE IS A HUGE HOLE IN THE ROOF!"

The twins attempted to slip off, but Glorfindel had seized them, Elladan's left arm and Elrohir's right held tightly in his grip. "These two, Erestor."

Erestor was bright red in the face and he was almost spitting, so angry was he at that moment. "I shall deal with you in the morning, before I do or say something I will later regret!" he hissed. "Go to your rooms and stay there, OR THERE WILL BE EVEN MORE TROUBLE!"

Glorfindel marched them off and virtually threw them into Elladan's room. They dared not speak to him to protest their innocence, for they knew that it would have no effect whatsoever upon the Balrog slayer. He slammed the door shut and the click of a key turning in the lock was too loud for the twins' liking. Fading footsteps following this noise informed them that the older Elf had left.

Elrohir refused to look at, or speak to, his twin, so the two sat in silence, the only sounds now reaching their ears being from the firework display and the crowd watching it. Presently, Elrohir stood. "I am retiring to bed," he informed Elladan.

"Maer fuin," the elder twin replied dully. Neither spoke any other words, for they knew what the morning would bring.

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~TBC~

A/N: as mentioned in the previous chapter, thanks to Steffi Snape for letting me use her idea of Gandalf's fireworks.

* A/N 2: think of the one that Merry and Pippin 'borrow' at Bilbo's party in FotR movie:

Merry: "You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" (pushes firework towards Pippin)

Pippin: "It is in the ground!" (pushes firework back towards Merry)

Merry: "Outside!"

Pippin: "This was your idea!"

(firework goes off)

Merry: "That was good."

Pippin: "Let's get another one."

Gandalf: "Meriadoc Brandybuck – and Peregrin Took. I might have known."

Elvish translations:

ion nîn – my son

maer fuin – goodnight (I think; CouncilofElrond.com gave me 3 different options and I wasn't sure which the best one was, so if any corrections need to be made, please let me know)