On walking back inside Arwen and the twins met Glorfindel who was obviously looking for them. Legolas and Adela shared a worried look, where they in trouble on their first day? Glorfindel offered his hands to the twins without a word. Legolas looked at Arwen before taking Glorfindel's hand silently. Adela followed her brother's example.
Glorfindel took them to a room that they hadn't been in yet. It was quite a glum room with five rows of wooden desks, a blackboard, a bookcase full of thick, hard-looking text books and two windows which were too high up for the twins to see out of and they only let in a little light. Glorfindel left them alone and Legolas and Adela looked around nervously. Just then another elf entered and sat behind the desk at the front of the room. Motioning them to him the twins went and stood in front of the desk. "Now then, as you might have guessed, I am your tutor," the elf told them. "I am Erestor and you will study with me for three hours everyday apart from Saturday and Sunday, understand?"
"Yes Sir."
"Ok then. I'm going to guess that you have the same favourite subject?"
"Yes Sir!" the twins were warming up to him and Erestor was suddenly glad that he got to be their tutor, they seemed like bright kids.
"And this subject would be?" he prompted.
"History Sir."
"And the worst would be?" he asked with a smile.
"Numeracy," came the groan.
"Well, I hate to tell you this but we will be spending more time working on Numeracy than History, I'm afraid."
"Nothing new there then," Legolas told him, surprising all three of them. The twins had been very quiet up until this point, having been taught not to speak out of turn. Legolas instantly looked at the floor and flushed, ashamed.
"Hey, now," Erestor said quietly, slightly shocked at Legolas' reaction to speaking. "You've done nothing wrong, I was going to ask how you were schooled in Mirkwood anyway."
"We're not supposed to speak out of turn, Sir," Legolas whispered, his eyes filling with tears which were evident in his choked voice.
Adela went to offer her hand to her twin but stopped. To do so would be to show weakness.
"You can hold hands, you know," they were both told gently by Erestor, who was now very shocked.
"No we can't," Adela told him. "Not in public, that's the rule. It shows weakness which is something we are not allowed to show."
Erestor stood up and came and knelt between the twins, taking one of their hands in each of his own. "Any other rules I should know of, just the main ones?" he asked.
Legolas finally looked up. "When walking children are to remain three paces behind their elders and slightly to the right. Although Glorfindel and Arwen said that the rule with them is that we have to hold their hands."
"That rule counts for me as well," Erestor told them. "Anything else?"
"Children are to be seen not heard," Adela told him.
"And are only to speak when asked a direct question. Children must never speak out of turn," Legolas added.
"Studying comes before free time and children must not disturb their elders during free time but read a book quietly, walk a trail and practice weaponry with an elder," Adela put in.
"Bedtime is to be strictly obeyed," Legolas added.
Erestor now looked completely overwhelmed. Children should be seen not heard, and not talk out of place? What kind of game was Thranduil playing at? "Any other rules about studying?" he asked quietly.
"Children must study for at least five hours a day and everyone had a study hour before dinner in which to do any extra assignments, finish off work or catch up," the twins recited together. That at least explained to Erestor why they had looked shocked when he had told them that they would be studying for three hours a day.
"And the main subjects to be studied are Numeracy and Literature. At least an hour of each a day," Adela tagged on to the end after a moments pause.
"Very well then," Erestor told them sounding slightly dazed. "Whilst you are in Rivendell you will only study under me for three hours a day, but you will have a study hour with someone to supervise you before dinner," Erestor decided.
"Yes Sir," came the obedient response.
"For now then, though, we are going to take a Geography lesson outside, for I am sure that you have not seen much of Rivendell yet," he told them and stood and headed to the door.
The twins followed him and hesitantly went and stood on either side of him, as he had not offered them his hands. Erestor smiled slightly and slid his hands into the twins' and led them outside. Elves looking up from their work smiled at the sight. An elder elf, advisor to Lord Elrond, walking along teaching two young ones, both dressed very smartly, about Rivendell and holding their hands as they gazed up at him in wonder. All in all it was a very enjoyable morning for all three, Erestor, Legolas and Adela. Once the Geography lesson was over Erestor lead the twins back in side. He took them back to the schoolroom and gave them both a blank exercise book and told them to put their names on the front along with 'geography'. The twins done as instructed. He then set them an essay title, 'our walk through Rivendell' which both twins got on with straight away. Erestor stopped them after half an hour and told them that they could finish it in their study hour as they would have the afternoon off. For now though it was time for lunch.
Erestor took the twins to the dining hall and made sure that they were sat near him, not too far away from Lord Elrond, who he knew that the twins hadn't really meet yet. Not long after they had sat down Arwen came in and sat near the twins. After meeting them this morning she had decided that she liked them. She had also decided that she was going to get them some play clothes made.
"Hi Legolas, Adela," she greeting them nicely.
"Hello Arwen," came the polite chorus back.
"What are you two going to be up to this afternoon?" she asked.
"Not sure," Adela told her. "Erestor said that we have the afternoon off until out study hour at five o'clock."
"In that case, would you like to come and help me out with something?" the elf maiden asked the two of them.
"Yes please," Legolas answered for the both of them.
"Very well, that is settled," Arwen told them.