A/N Most of the conversations with Estel will be in Elvish since they want him to learn the language. Children learn languages quickly (my cousin is fluent in Spanish and he is three. He has lived in Spain for six days and now speaks the language as easily as I do French and English. Children are truly amazing people.)

Chapter 5: Messes

Elrohir picked himself up off the floor and then grabbed Estel. While they were going down the stairs Estel had gone up behind him and latched onto Elrohir's leg. Elrohir had lost his balance and fallen on to the ground. Estel had giggled and now Elrohir had to admit it was sort of funny.

"Hurt?" Estel asked Elrohir. He played with the elven twin's braids while they went down the hall.

Elrohir shook his head and carried Estel to the door. He was looking forward to getting outside so that Estel could run his energy off. He pushed open the door and carried Estel down the steps that led to the courtyard. When they were on the green grass he put Estel down.

Estel immediately sat on the floor and began to play in the dirt. "Play!"

Elrohir snatched Estel off the floor. "No Estel, we do not play in the dirt." Elrohir said in Elvish.

Estel gave him a funny look but seemed to understand that he wasn't to play with the wet earth. "Fine," he muttered, disgruntled.

Elrohir sighed. Since it had rained the night before the ground was damp and there were a few puddles. Elrohir looked slyly at the puddles and then at Estel. "Estel do you wish to play in the puddles?" he pointed to the water that had collected in the little grooves of stone. 

Estel beamed up at Elrohir and nodded. "Down," he commanded. As soon as Elrohir put the child down he seized Elrohir's hand and began to drag him over to the puddle.

Elrohir grinned. He was going to be in so much trouble when he got inside. "Do you know how to play in a puddle?" Elrohir asked.

Estel frowned. He didn't understand Elvish but he was beginning to understand a few words. Since he was so little the language came to him easily. He nodded his head. "Yes," he jumped in the puddle managing to splash Elrohir and himself.

Elrohir laughed. He hadn't played in a puddle since he had been a child himself. He kneeled on the ground and splashed Estel with some of the water. Elrohir knew the puddles would be gone in an hour or two since the midday sun was warming everything up. He wanted to make Estel as happy as possible so that he would enjoy being around the elven twin. "Would you like to play Hide and Go Seek now, Estel?"

Estel had destroyed the puddle and the only hint that a puddle had ever existed were the drops of water surrounding a damp circle. "Yes, play!"

Elrohir chuckled and nodded. "You go hide, I will find you."

Estel nodded and ran to hide behind a pillar.

Elrohir listened to where Estel went so that he could be sure that Estel didn't run into the stable or the practice ranges. After counting to ten, he turned in the opposite direction Estel had gone in and began to noisily look for the little boy.

Estel giggled and crouched down in his hiding place. He watched Elrohir look for him and squealed in delight when Elrohir found him and tickled him. He liked this playful person who was willing to spend time with him. "Play again!"

Elrohir nodded. "Hide again, I will look for you."

Estel nodded and ran off to hide behind a large tree. They played the game for at least an hour before Estel got tired of it. He went over to Elrohir and pulled on his shirt-tail. "Walk?" he asked pointing at the path that ran to a little stream.

Elrohir nodded. "Alright Estel, we will walk for a little while."

Estel beamed and ran off down the path with Elrohir close behind.

~*~

Elladan was speaking with two elves from the border patrol by the river. They had received word that the Orcs Elladan and Elrohir had killed the night before had more to their group. "Tilon; Salnor, would you two please kill the remaining Orcs? I heard there are only four remaining and I cannot go today." Elladan said to them. He wanted to go and rid Rivendell of the Orcs but he needed to spend time with Estel. He felt a little guilty for not being with the boy now but he needed to talk to these two. He had already finished speaking with the rest of the patrol.

There was a noise in the bushes behind them. They didn't have time to react when a child ran out and collided with Elladan's knee. Elladan lost his balance but was steadied by Tilon. The child, however, was sent sprawling on his back and burst into tears.

Elladan ran over to the child and picked him up. "Shh Estel, let me see."

Elrohir ran through the bushes a few seconds later and saw Elladan on the floor holding a sobbing Estel. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.

Tilon and Salnor looked amused and very confused.

"Who is the child?" Tilon asked.

Elrohir looked at the two as if noticing them for the first time. "He is our little brother."

Salnor looked at Estel. "May I hold him, Elladan? I might be able to quiet him." Salnor had two children of his own.

Elladan hesitated but handed the screaming child to Salnor.

Salnor took the child and whispered quietly to the little boy. Estel soon stopped his screaming and relaxed in Salnor's arms. He jiggled Estel a little before handing him back to Elladan. "He is a good child my lord." Salnor said smiling.

Elladan smiled back. "His name is Estel."

Tilon looked at Salnor. "We should go, the Orcs are not waiting and I am sure everyone would feel much more comfortable if they were gone."

Salnor nodded and the two ran off in the direction the Orcs had last been seen.

Elrohir looked at his brother. "What happened?"

Elladan shifted Estel's weight so that he could hold him in a more comfortable position. "Estel ran through the bushes and collided with my knee. I think he might have a bruise on his head."

Estel squirmed in Elladan's grasp. He wasn't too happy about being held when he could be playing. "Down! Down now!"

Elrohir chuckled. "I think he feels fine."

Elladan smiled feeling relieved. He put Estel on the ground and watched the little boy rush over to the stream. Elladan looked back at Elrohir and frowned. "Why are you so wet?"

Elrohir blushed. "Estel and I jumped in the puddles."

Elladan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Elrohir squirmed. "Do not do that, you look like Ada."

Elladan laughed and draped his arm around Elrohir's shoulders. "Nay brother, I cannot achieve that look."

"Do you want to?" Elrohir teased.

Elladan grinned. "No, not really."

The twins laughed.

There was a small splash behind them.

"Oops," Estel said quietly.

Elladan and Elrohir spun around and their mouths fell open. Estel was sitting in the middle of the stream covered in mud, water weeds, and twigs. It looked as though he had just stepped into the stream and had slipped.

Estel got up and walked out of the water. He was shivering slightly from the cold but he looked happy. He ran over to Elrohir and hugged him tightly around his legs. "Nice," he muttered.

Elrohir groaned and Elladan howled with laughter. "Looks like both of you are going to need a bath when we get back to the house Elrohir."

"We have an hour or so before we must return to the house for the midday meal." Elrohir said. He looked down at his breeches and could see he had mud from his thigh to his ankle.

Elladan went over to his twin. "Bend down a little 'Ro."  

Estel looked up at Elladan and Elrohir. "'Ro?"

Elrohir bent down like his brother had told him to and looked at Estel. "What are you doing 'Dan?" Elladan pulled some sticks out of Elrohir's hair. "Oh."

Estel tugged on Elrohir's arm. "'Ro?"

Elrohir looked at the child and smiled. "Yes, Estel?"

Estel sat on the floor frowning.

Elladan chuckled. "I think he wanted to know what ''Ro' meant Elrohir."

Elrohir chuckled as well. "That makes sense. We never did tell him we had names."

"I think now might be a good time," Elladan commented.

"Estel," Elrohir said, trying to capture Estel's attention.

Estel looked up at Elrohir. "Yes?"

Elladan beamed. "He learned his name."

"He is a human, not an animal Elladan." Elrohir snapped.

Elladan frowned at Elrohir. "Are you alright?"

Elrohir nodded. He was slightly tired, Estel had worn him out and it was still morning! "Yes, sorry."

Elladan smiled and continued to pull things out of Elrohir's hair and off of his clothes.

Estel looked at Elrohir. "'Ro?"

Elrohir looked up. "Yes, Estel?"

Estel jumped up and down as though he had just discovered the answer to an incredibly tough equation. He jumped on top of Elrohir getting mud all over the place. "Got you!"

Elrohir laughed and wrestled with Estel. He took care not to hurt the little boy and Estel's giggled.

Estel pushed himself away from Elrohir and went over to Elladan. For a person who had met the twins only the night before, he had no trouble telling them apart. "Play please."

Elladan looked at Elrohir who was nodding. "Alright Estel," he said.

Estel smiled and tagged Elladan. "Catch me!" he ran back on the path and Elladan walked quickly so that he wasn't too close behind Estel.

Elrohir picked himself up off the ground and followed his two brothers. He smiled contentedly to himself and walked slowly down the path. He looked down at his clothes, his father was not going to be pleased and neither were the servants. He knew Taurnil was going to be angry with him for tracking mud into the house, but he didn't care. He was too happy to care.