Chapter 3 - Day of the Bets
Lord Elrond of Imladris stood on a balcony that overlooked his glorious valley. In the distance he could hear the rush of the falls mingling with the birdsong. His slim hands rested on the smooth railing as he lifted his face to the morning air, a smile of contentment touching his lips.
Coming closer behind him, he could hear the sound of voices jesting and laughing. He could distinguish the individual ones easily: the twins, Arwen, Glorfindel, and Erestor. He sighed and shook his head, looking down into the courtyard below, where a table had been set with their breakfast. He felt cool hands slip about his slender waist, and lips press against the skin of his neck. He smiled then and turned, taking his wife into his arms. He gazed down into her blue eyes.
"Today is the day, is it?" he murmured quietly against her lips.
She smiled, her eyes dancing with merriment.
"Yes, it is. They are already making their bets on what King Thranduil will send," she said quietly, turning in his arms and leaning back against him as the others approached. His arms slid about her, and he buried his nose in her soft, fair hair.
Every year on about the same day that the "Birthday Dance" was being performed in Mirkwood, the Day of the Bets was taking place in Rivendell. Elrond's children and his two closest friends each chose what they thought King Thranduil would send as a present for Elrond's birthday. Then each one would decide what it was they were willing to bet if they were wrong. Usually it was some small thing, as it was merely for fun. Arwen delighted in betting kisses. Elrohir usually carved little spiders, and everyone had a small collection of the wooden arachnids now as it was never a spider, and he never guessed anything differently. The winner would take all the offerings of the others when the present finally arrived and someone was proved correct. Some years no one won, but it was mostly the fun in the guessing, not the winning that mattered.
Glorfindel and Erestor bowed to Elrond, but Arwen ran to him and kissed his cheek.
"Good morning, Adar!" she said. "We are making The Bets today."
"Yes, so I had heard. Well, what is it going to be this year? Or haven't you decided yet?" Elrond smiled over at his friends and his sons.
Elladan and Elrohir grinned at one another and nodded.
"A spider!" Elrohir exclaimed as he did every year.
"Even Thranduil wouldn't do that," Elrond chuckled, smiling at the younger of the twins. "Don't you think it is time you chose something else? Anything else?"
"I think it would make a wonderful gift, Adar!" Elrohir continued with an infectious grin. "Think of how much fun it would be!"
"I am sure you do, Elrohir," Glorfindel pointed out in his best lecturing voice, "but as your father has said, even King Thranduil would not send a spider here. The Elves of Mirkwood hate the spiders fiercely, as you well know. They would not capture one merely to send it to your father . . ." He frowned suddenly, then a slow smile graced his lips. "Or perhaps King Thranduil would send one to your father. I think that I will bet that it is a spider, too. That is, if you don't mind, Elrohir." The smile on Glorfindel's young looking face became a grin that lit his eyes moved to his lord, golden brows raised.
Elrohir laughed lightly, and clapped the ancient Elf-lord on the back.
"I don't mind at all, Lord Glorfindel. In fact when he does send a spider, you can help me take care of it!"
Glorfindel chuckled. "I think not, young one. I do not like spiders over much either."
Elrond shook his head and smiled wryly as the others laughed at the ancient Elf and Elrohir.
"Very well then. I see that Elrohir AND Glorfindel are both betting on a spider. What about the rest of you?"
"I believe it will be something from his fabled Gem Room," Arwen said, her sapphire eyes bright. "Something very sparkly and very beautiful. He hasn't sent you anything like that yet; it is overdue I think."
"All right. Arwen thinks jewelry. Perhaps something that she herself will fancy, and get her father to part with easily," he quipped with a wink at his daughter.
"Perhaps," she agreed with a grin. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him again, then leaned into her mother's arms, kissing her warm cheek.
"Well, Elladan? What are you thinking? It seems that spiders and jewelry are taken," the Lord of Imladris prompted.
"I was thinking of something along the line of one of his seasonal crowns. You know the ones he wears during the celebrations of the different seasons." Elrond's eldest child cleared his throat and recited in a clear young voice, fingers wrapping about a strand of his long ebony hair and tugging slightly, "In spring he wears a crown of colorful flowers fair; in the summer leaves of lustrous sheen; in autumn, crimson and berries of bounty to grace his golden hair; winter's season is holly and evergreen."
The others applauded him as he bowed gracefully, a grin lighting his face.
"Very well done, Elladan," Elrond said with a smile. "You wrote that yourself?"
"Of course, Adar," his son said proudly.
"That was quite beautiful," Celebrian added, gazing at her son in with a gentle, loving look. "You should compose more poems, or even some songs."
"He stayed up all night composing it," Elrohir laughed. "You should have heard him. He kept saying the lines over and over, muttering about finding words that rhyme, and twisting them all about; throwing discarded scraps of paper around the room until I finally threw a pillow at him and told him to shut up."
"That is not true, Elrohir," his twin protested. "At least my idea is original, unlike yours."
"Oh no, you will not start this," Elrond said sternly. "Not today." He could feel Celebrian laughing as she continued to lean against him. He smiled, squeezing her slender waist.
"Well, Erestor, what say you to this birthday bet?"
Erestor smiled, his long dark hair shining in the morning sunlight.
"The Dorwinion stuff, my lord," he said simply, the smile widening to a grin.
"The Dorwinion stuff!" Elrond snorted with amusement. "Now that would be something! It would take nothing short of a miracle, or . . . or a hoard of drunken Orcs to make that happen!" The Lord of Imladris laughed merrily, his dark blue eyes twinkling. "Are you sure that is your choice, O My Wise Counselor?"
Erestor shrugged, and then he grinned.
"It is at least as good as the spider," he said, looking over at Glorfindel and Elrohir, who both grinned back at him.
"This is marvelous," Elrond said with a look of mock annoyance. "One of my Counselors thinks that a spider will be arriving in a gilded cage -"
"I never said in a gilded cage, my lord," Glorfindel interjected quickly. "King Thranduil prefers silver after all."
Elrond pursed his lips, as the golden Elf-lord once of Gondolin struggled to keep a straight face.
"Very well then. In a silver cage," he amended in a bemused voice. "The other one thinks that the best wine in Thranduil's cellars will be rolling in. I am amazed that my realm has managed to survive for so long with such wisdom guiding it."
Erestor and Glorfindel looked at one another and raised their brows in mock dismay. Then they grinned, turning to bow to their lord.
"We only live to serve you," they intoned solemnly at the same time, looking very Counselor-like in their long somber colored robes, and then burst out laughing as they straightened, eyes shining.
Arwen giggled and ran to kiss them, her long spill of dark hair flying behind her. Then she flung herself at Elladan and kissed him for composing such a good poem. Elrohir received one for his unwavering courage in guessing the same thing every year despite the teasing and promptings for him to do otherwise.
"Are we going to eat now?" Elladan asked, patting his flat stomach. "Composing poems is hungry work!"
"Yes, go on down. We will be there shortly," Elrond instructed them, watching them turn to leave, heading down a flight of stone steps to where their repast had been set out on a table beneath a large maple tree.
Celebrian sighed, turning in her husband's arms, and gazed up at him as her arms encircled his waist once more.
"And what do you think, my lord?" she asked, her eyes filled with mischief. "Spiders, wine, crowns of flowers, or jewels. Which do you think you will get for your birthday?"
Elrond gazed down lovingly at her, his eyes caressing the curve of her lips, the way the thick lashes fluttered on her cheeks that were as pink as rose petals.
"Why, I choose them all," he answered with a grin. "Anything that Thranduil sends me I will gladly take and add to my hoard of wealth."
Her laughter filled the air like golden bells, and he gazed on her, filled with the same wonder that he had felt when he had seen her for the first time.
"You gladly take what he resentfully gives. You make quite a pair," she murmured in amusement. "Well then. We shall just have to wait and see what comes over the mountains this year."
"What do you say he will send, nin gur {my heart}?" He put one finger beneath her chin and tilted her face to his.
"His apologies, of course."
"His what?" Elrond laughed. "Whatever for?"
"His apologies," she repeated, raising one hand to cup his cheek. "I do not think he will want to send you anything better than that Combe wine that he sent last year - I suspect that he regretted sending it at all. It was quite good really. So he shall send you his apologies because he will send you what he will consider an inferior gift, even though he has no wish to send you one better. He at least will wish to appear sorry for choosing something not worthy of you. Or perhaps not." She shrugged. "Or perhaps he will blame someone else. Perhaps the grapes were no good that year, or the Dwarves didn't set the stones properly in the necklace."
"I do not think that Thranduil has ever apologized for something in his life," Elrond stated with a smile.
"That may be, but that is my guess."
Elrond shook his head in amusement, and bent to kiss her. Her fingers twined in his long dark hair as they stood together, locked in a passionate embrace.
"This will be quite an interesting birthday to say the least, if for no other reason than the fact that these guesses are rather amusing," he commented as he turned to escort her to where the others were waiting. "Interesting indeed."
Author's Note - To clear up any confusion created by myself ;) I will tell you that this story is set WAY before "In the Hall of the Wood Elf King". The Tricksy Trio are not yet full fledged warriors of Mirkwood or should I say "fierce, feral Warriors of Mirkwood" (c. Saeros) This is set sometime after Legolas is born (who knows for certain as Tolkien himself didn't say), and before 2509 when Celebrian is wounded and eventually sails over the Seas. I see Elladan and Elrohir and Arwen as somewhat older than Legolas, but still younglings.
Thanks to al my beta reader. . . yes, you did beta this chapter!
Response to Reviewers
Rings of the cosmos - My computer is slow to load, too! Yes, they too seem to have a minor obsession with spiders.
shirebound - Most people view spiders in a less-than-admirable way, so I am glad to see that the poor sad little captive spider made you see them in a slightly less less-than-admirable way. ;)
byrn - Put a spider on a leash?? Hmmm.Thank you! Look for your name to pop up somewhere later on in this story! You should be worried for Elrond.
Tinni - Thank you! I will continue! G
Anya - Ring of Sarcasm - I am glad you love it! Glad you like "Little Greenleaf".
Katharine the Great - You are right. It is only a LITTLE bit of trouble! The story has just started after all! Glad you liked the tree house! They are a lot of fun! I loved your little scene with Elrond and the twins! Hilarious! A spider, hmmm?? To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;) I am glad you like Egla Ash, too! I am rather fond of him myself, even if he is an Orc. I do find it amusing that Ff.net has given us a guideline for reviewing. That is so helpful! G
The Sadistic Cow - LOL Glad you found that last chapter so cute, with dimwit Brethil and the sad spider! That would have made a good title!
Skye - I myself used to be terrified of spiders many, many years ago. Hence the character Aralith! ;) I kid you not. I used to not go to sleep if I knew there was a spider in my bedroom, down behind the furniture! Guess there are a lot of us out there with changed attitudes! Tell your "Gwibess" in the corner of the living room I said "HI!"
Seaweed - I am glad you have a sudden passion for spiders! As you saw Bastryn is back. I am getting rather fond of spiders myself! Fiddler crabs are cute too! But no, not as cute as Gimli! G
littlesaiyangirl - Thanks so much! I will try and not take TOO long between chapters!
Sake - Yep! More spiders! LOL You are right. We need to know what the return gift will be after this is over!
Nancing Elf - The new announcement from FF.net surprised many of us I think. I am glad that you know where to put your stories, and will write some R's and PG's or whatever you decide here! Please don't leave all together!! (begs on her knees) You know I will read whatever you write, wherever you write it! I am glad you enjoyed the Tricksy Trio and the baby spider. Parents always did know exactly what was going on, now we do the same thing to our own children! Isn't life wonderful like that! G Hugs to you, nin mellon!
Anonymous - Ah! So you understand now what this story is! LOL I don't think I was trying to be subtle, that is NOT one of my strong suits! G So Brethil was being annoying?? ROFL I guess he was! No, they don't learn from past mistakes! Poor Tricksy Trio! The fun with Bastryn is just starting. So you also like the idea of sending the spider! To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;) The Council of Elrond rewrite will be after this I think. Yes, I suspect that "What are you going to do now?" will figure in there somewhere!!
gershwin - I must admit that I laughed throughout your entire review as you so astutely summed up these stories! The fact that they can't/won't learn from past misdeed - a trait Legolas got from his father - ROFL !! Too funny! Thanks so much for the fun!
Irena - Yes, Poor Tavor (c. Irena) He did not have an easy time in that last chapter. Nope, Brethil is definitely the dull knife! Haha! Bastryn is much more clever than he is!
al - Thank you so much for sending me all those commas I had to axe! G I will most assuredly use them all again - inappropriately, I am sure! See! There is one already! ;) I can't send you 10 chapters a day to beta as I am not that fast. Three to four a week is the max I am afraid! Another person who wants Elrond to have a spider!! To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;)Gotta love it! We will see what happens!
Calenedhel - You are quite welcome! Of course you can have a pet spider! I think they are very popular pets right now! G You want the tree house, too?? Hmmm.I don't know if the Elves would come with it or not! ;) I do realize that I will be forced at fangirl-point to write more tales of Legolas and company in their teens! I think of them as the Tales of the Tricksy Trio! How is your bubble smoke gun?? ;) LOL
Jay of Lasgalen - Yes, it is I! I like to see hilarious in reviews! Shame on me, but it is true! Ah! So you know what Legolas is going to pick! G Elrond is in for the surprise of his life!! LOL
ccg - Yes, the wine is only part of the story. The spider??!! To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;) LOL
Aria - You sound like Legolas' brother Aralith! Spider! Spider! (runs in horror) LOL Sounds like Christmas at your house is quite - interesting!! (
Puterpatty - I am glad that you have found this fic! I would have missed you greatly otherwise! ;) Ah, finally someone who likes Aralith! I like the poor Elf myself! He is me when I was afraid of the eight-legged beasties! I am glad you like my impish young Elves! They have afforded me some great fun lately. And YES! It was Tavor who was flirting with the girls at the Wild Berry War! Kudos to you for remembering! That makes me very happy! Thanks sooooo much! (
Princess of sMirkwood - Mrs ArWe - No, I don't think the Lord of Imladris will be amused by his presents! Sorry about the mix up in the ages! ( I, too, missed all the songs in the movie. Hearing the Lay of Nimrodel sung by Legolas would have been way too cool! It was very nice that Legolas got to smile a little though! I will take what I can get! ;)
petrinka87 - This is set before "In the Hall"! Sorry, you were not the only one confused by my jump into this fic! Don't go into withdrawal, I will continue writing it! (
Nadra - You and your 8 other buds don't stand a chance, even if they scream really loud and wear pointy boots! You will never find us and you will never get the Elf! If you kidnap the muse, then none of these stories will EVER be finished! Then all the people who read these stories will hunt YOU guys down! Mad fans are a lot scarier than Ringwraiths! And you still can't have the Elf! More of Thranduil?? Of course! That is something you can have! More of the Mighty King of Mirkwood! And OF COURSE my house has "distinguished dust"!! G Lots of it!
weirdo - Love the name!! I am so glad you like my fics! Don't go into depression, I will continue to update!! G
Rhikat - I, too, am glad that spiders in our houses aren't that smart and tricky, though it is a bit disconcerting when they turn around on the wall and look at you! ;)
random flamer - Yes, a lot of things will go wrong! That is the fun!
annakas - The spider biting them seemed to freak you a little! Hehehe! Sorry! LOL Sweet, cute, and fluffy! Love it! Yep, they tried really hard to save their skin from Tanglinna!
wellduh - Oo.?? Okay! Thanks! LOL
Lord Elrond of Imladris stood on a balcony that overlooked his glorious valley. In the distance he could hear the rush of the falls mingling with the birdsong. His slim hands rested on the smooth railing as he lifted his face to the morning air, a smile of contentment touching his lips.
Coming closer behind him, he could hear the sound of voices jesting and laughing. He could distinguish the individual ones easily: the twins, Arwen, Glorfindel, and Erestor. He sighed and shook his head, looking down into the courtyard below, where a table had been set with their breakfast. He felt cool hands slip about his slender waist, and lips press against the skin of his neck. He smiled then and turned, taking his wife into his arms. He gazed down into her blue eyes.
"Today is the day, is it?" he murmured quietly against her lips.
She smiled, her eyes dancing with merriment.
"Yes, it is. They are already making their bets on what King Thranduil will send," she said quietly, turning in his arms and leaning back against him as the others approached. His arms slid about her, and he buried his nose in her soft, fair hair.
Every year on about the same day that the "Birthday Dance" was being performed in Mirkwood, the Day of the Bets was taking place in Rivendell. Elrond's children and his two closest friends each chose what they thought King Thranduil would send as a present for Elrond's birthday. Then each one would decide what it was they were willing to bet if they were wrong. Usually it was some small thing, as it was merely for fun. Arwen delighted in betting kisses. Elrohir usually carved little spiders, and everyone had a small collection of the wooden arachnids now as it was never a spider, and he never guessed anything differently. The winner would take all the offerings of the others when the present finally arrived and someone was proved correct. Some years no one won, but it was mostly the fun in the guessing, not the winning that mattered.
Glorfindel and Erestor bowed to Elrond, but Arwen ran to him and kissed his cheek.
"Good morning, Adar!" she said. "We are making The Bets today."
"Yes, so I had heard. Well, what is it going to be this year? Or haven't you decided yet?" Elrond smiled over at his friends and his sons.
Elladan and Elrohir grinned at one another and nodded.
"A spider!" Elrohir exclaimed as he did every year.
"Even Thranduil wouldn't do that," Elrond chuckled, smiling at the younger of the twins. "Don't you think it is time you chose something else? Anything else?"
"I think it would make a wonderful gift, Adar!" Elrohir continued with an infectious grin. "Think of how much fun it would be!"
"I am sure you do, Elrohir," Glorfindel pointed out in his best lecturing voice, "but as your father has said, even King Thranduil would not send a spider here. The Elves of Mirkwood hate the spiders fiercely, as you well know. They would not capture one merely to send it to your father . . ." He frowned suddenly, then a slow smile graced his lips. "Or perhaps King Thranduil would send one to your father. I think that I will bet that it is a spider, too. That is, if you don't mind, Elrohir." The smile on Glorfindel's young looking face became a grin that lit his eyes moved to his lord, golden brows raised.
Elrohir laughed lightly, and clapped the ancient Elf-lord on the back.
"I don't mind at all, Lord Glorfindel. In fact when he does send a spider, you can help me take care of it!"
Glorfindel chuckled. "I think not, young one. I do not like spiders over much either."
Elrond shook his head and smiled wryly as the others laughed at the ancient Elf and Elrohir.
"Very well then. I see that Elrohir AND Glorfindel are both betting on a spider. What about the rest of you?"
"I believe it will be something from his fabled Gem Room," Arwen said, her sapphire eyes bright. "Something very sparkly and very beautiful. He hasn't sent you anything like that yet; it is overdue I think."
"All right. Arwen thinks jewelry. Perhaps something that she herself will fancy, and get her father to part with easily," he quipped with a wink at his daughter.
"Perhaps," she agreed with a grin. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him again, then leaned into her mother's arms, kissing her warm cheek.
"Well, Elladan? What are you thinking? It seems that spiders and jewelry are taken," the Lord of Imladris prompted.
"I was thinking of something along the line of one of his seasonal crowns. You know the ones he wears during the celebrations of the different seasons." Elrond's eldest child cleared his throat and recited in a clear young voice, fingers wrapping about a strand of his long ebony hair and tugging slightly, "In spring he wears a crown of colorful flowers fair; in the summer leaves of lustrous sheen; in autumn, crimson and berries of bounty to grace his golden hair; winter's season is holly and evergreen."
The others applauded him as he bowed gracefully, a grin lighting his face.
"Very well done, Elladan," Elrond said with a smile. "You wrote that yourself?"
"Of course, Adar," his son said proudly.
"That was quite beautiful," Celebrian added, gazing at her son in with a gentle, loving look. "You should compose more poems, or even some songs."
"He stayed up all night composing it," Elrohir laughed. "You should have heard him. He kept saying the lines over and over, muttering about finding words that rhyme, and twisting them all about; throwing discarded scraps of paper around the room until I finally threw a pillow at him and told him to shut up."
"That is not true, Elrohir," his twin protested. "At least my idea is original, unlike yours."
"Oh no, you will not start this," Elrond said sternly. "Not today." He could feel Celebrian laughing as she continued to lean against him. He smiled, squeezing her slender waist.
"Well, Erestor, what say you to this birthday bet?"
Erestor smiled, his long dark hair shining in the morning sunlight.
"The Dorwinion stuff, my lord," he said simply, the smile widening to a grin.
"The Dorwinion stuff!" Elrond snorted with amusement. "Now that would be something! It would take nothing short of a miracle, or . . . or a hoard of drunken Orcs to make that happen!" The Lord of Imladris laughed merrily, his dark blue eyes twinkling. "Are you sure that is your choice, O My Wise Counselor?"
Erestor shrugged, and then he grinned.
"It is at least as good as the spider," he said, looking over at Glorfindel and Elrohir, who both grinned back at him.
"This is marvelous," Elrond said with a look of mock annoyance. "One of my Counselors thinks that a spider will be arriving in a gilded cage -"
"I never said in a gilded cage, my lord," Glorfindel interjected quickly. "King Thranduil prefers silver after all."
Elrond pursed his lips, as the golden Elf-lord once of Gondolin struggled to keep a straight face.
"Very well then. In a silver cage," he amended in a bemused voice. "The other one thinks that the best wine in Thranduil's cellars will be rolling in. I am amazed that my realm has managed to survive for so long with such wisdom guiding it."
Erestor and Glorfindel looked at one another and raised their brows in mock dismay. Then they grinned, turning to bow to their lord.
"We only live to serve you," they intoned solemnly at the same time, looking very Counselor-like in their long somber colored robes, and then burst out laughing as they straightened, eyes shining.
Arwen giggled and ran to kiss them, her long spill of dark hair flying behind her. Then she flung herself at Elladan and kissed him for composing such a good poem. Elrohir received one for his unwavering courage in guessing the same thing every year despite the teasing and promptings for him to do otherwise.
"Are we going to eat now?" Elladan asked, patting his flat stomach. "Composing poems is hungry work!"
"Yes, go on down. We will be there shortly," Elrond instructed them, watching them turn to leave, heading down a flight of stone steps to where their repast had been set out on a table beneath a large maple tree.
Celebrian sighed, turning in her husband's arms, and gazed up at him as her arms encircled his waist once more.
"And what do you think, my lord?" she asked, her eyes filled with mischief. "Spiders, wine, crowns of flowers, or jewels. Which do you think you will get for your birthday?"
Elrond gazed down lovingly at her, his eyes caressing the curve of her lips, the way the thick lashes fluttered on her cheeks that were as pink as rose petals.
"Why, I choose them all," he answered with a grin. "Anything that Thranduil sends me I will gladly take and add to my hoard of wealth."
Her laughter filled the air like golden bells, and he gazed on her, filled with the same wonder that he had felt when he had seen her for the first time.
"You gladly take what he resentfully gives. You make quite a pair," she murmured in amusement. "Well then. We shall just have to wait and see what comes over the mountains this year."
"What do you say he will send, nin gur {my heart}?" He put one finger beneath her chin and tilted her face to his.
"His apologies, of course."
"His what?" Elrond laughed. "Whatever for?"
"His apologies," she repeated, raising one hand to cup his cheek. "I do not think he will want to send you anything better than that Combe wine that he sent last year - I suspect that he regretted sending it at all. It was quite good really. So he shall send you his apologies because he will send you what he will consider an inferior gift, even though he has no wish to send you one better. He at least will wish to appear sorry for choosing something not worthy of you. Or perhaps not." She shrugged. "Or perhaps he will blame someone else. Perhaps the grapes were no good that year, or the Dwarves didn't set the stones properly in the necklace."
"I do not think that Thranduil has ever apologized for something in his life," Elrond stated with a smile.
"That may be, but that is my guess."
Elrond shook his head in amusement, and bent to kiss her. Her fingers twined in his long dark hair as they stood together, locked in a passionate embrace.
"This will be quite an interesting birthday to say the least, if for no other reason than the fact that these guesses are rather amusing," he commented as he turned to escort her to where the others were waiting. "Interesting indeed."
Author's Note - To clear up any confusion created by myself ;) I will tell you that this story is set WAY before "In the Hall of the Wood Elf King". The Tricksy Trio are not yet full fledged warriors of Mirkwood or should I say "fierce, feral Warriors of Mirkwood" (c. Saeros) This is set sometime after Legolas is born (who knows for certain as Tolkien himself didn't say), and before 2509 when Celebrian is wounded and eventually sails over the Seas. I see Elladan and Elrohir and Arwen as somewhat older than Legolas, but still younglings.
Thanks to al my beta reader. . . yes, you did beta this chapter!
Response to Reviewers
Rings of the cosmos - My computer is slow to load, too! Yes, they too seem to have a minor obsession with spiders.
shirebound - Most people view spiders in a less-than-admirable way, so I am glad to see that the poor sad little captive spider made you see them in a slightly less less-than-admirable way. ;)
byrn - Put a spider on a leash?? Hmmm.Thank you! Look for your name to pop up somewhere later on in this story! You should be worried for Elrond.
Tinni - Thank you! I will continue! G
Anya - Ring of Sarcasm - I am glad you love it! Glad you like "Little Greenleaf".
Katharine the Great - You are right. It is only a LITTLE bit of trouble! The story has just started after all! Glad you liked the tree house! They are a lot of fun! I loved your little scene with Elrond and the twins! Hilarious! A spider, hmmm?? To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;) I am glad you like Egla Ash, too! I am rather fond of him myself, even if he is an Orc. I do find it amusing that Ff.net has given us a guideline for reviewing. That is so helpful! G
The Sadistic Cow - LOL Glad you found that last chapter so cute, with dimwit Brethil and the sad spider! That would have made a good title!
Skye - I myself used to be terrified of spiders many, many years ago. Hence the character Aralith! ;) I kid you not. I used to not go to sleep if I knew there was a spider in my bedroom, down behind the furniture! Guess there are a lot of us out there with changed attitudes! Tell your "Gwibess" in the corner of the living room I said "HI!"
Seaweed - I am glad you have a sudden passion for spiders! As you saw Bastryn is back. I am getting rather fond of spiders myself! Fiddler crabs are cute too! But no, not as cute as Gimli! G
littlesaiyangirl - Thanks so much! I will try and not take TOO long between chapters!
Sake - Yep! More spiders! LOL You are right. We need to know what the return gift will be after this is over!
Nancing Elf - The new announcement from FF.net surprised many of us I think. I am glad that you know where to put your stories, and will write some R's and PG's or whatever you decide here! Please don't leave all together!! (begs on her knees) You know I will read whatever you write, wherever you write it! I am glad you enjoyed the Tricksy Trio and the baby spider. Parents always did know exactly what was going on, now we do the same thing to our own children! Isn't life wonderful like that! G Hugs to you, nin mellon!
Anonymous - Ah! So you understand now what this story is! LOL I don't think I was trying to be subtle, that is NOT one of my strong suits! G So Brethil was being annoying?? ROFL I guess he was! No, they don't learn from past mistakes! Poor Tricksy Trio! The fun with Bastryn is just starting. So you also like the idea of sending the spider! To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;) The Council of Elrond rewrite will be after this I think. Yes, I suspect that "What are you going to do now?" will figure in there somewhere!!
gershwin - I must admit that I laughed throughout your entire review as you so astutely summed up these stories! The fact that they can't/won't learn from past misdeed - a trait Legolas got from his father - ROFL !! Too funny! Thanks so much for the fun!
Irena - Yes, Poor Tavor (c. Irena) He did not have an easy time in that last chapter. Nope, Brethil is definitely the dull knife! Haha! Bastryn is much more clever than he is!
al - Thank you so much for sending me all those commas I had to axe! G I will most assuredly use them all again - inappropriately, I am sure! See! There is one already! ;) I can't send you 10 chapters a day to beta as I am not that fast. Three to four a week is the max I am afraid! Another person who wants Elrond to have a spider!! To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;)Gotta love it! We will see what happens!
Calenedhel - You are quite welcome! Of course you can have a pet spider! I think they are very popular pets right now! G You want the tree house, too?? Hmmm.I don't know if the Elves would come with it or not! ;) I do realize that I will be forced at fangirl-point to write more tales of Legolas and company in their teens! I think of them as the Tales of the Tricksy Trio! How is your bubble smoke gun?? ;) LOL
Jay of Lasgalen - Yes, it is I! I like to see hilarious in reviews! Shame on me, but it is true! Ah! So you know what Legolas is going to pick! G Elrond is in for the surprise of his life!! LOL
ccg - Yes, the wine is only part of the story. The spider??!! To quote Elrond "Even Thranduil wouldn't do that." ;) LOL
Aria - You sound like Legolas' brother Aralith! Spider! Spider! (runs in horror) LOL Sounds like Christmas at your house is quite - interesting!! (
Puterpatty - I am glad that you have found this fic! I would have missed you greatly otherwise! ;) Ah, finally someone who likes Aralith! I like the poor Elf myself! He is me when I was afraid of the eight-legged beasties! I am glad you like my impish young Elves! They have afforded me some great fun lately. And YES! It was Tavor who was flirting with the girls at the Wild Berry War! Kudos to you for remembering! That makes me very happy! Thanks sooooo much! (
Princess of sMirkwood - Mrs ArWe - No, I don't think the Lord of Imladris will be amused by his presents! Sorry about the mix up in the ages! ( I, too, missed all the songs in the movie. Hearing the Lay of Nimrodel sung by Legolas would have been way too cool! It was very nice that Legolas got to smile a little though! I will take what I can get! ;)
petrinka87 - This is set before "In the Hall"! Sorry, you were not the only one confused by my jump into this fic! Don't go into withdrawal, I will continue writing it! (
Nadra - You and your 8 other buds don't stand a chance, even if they scream really loud and wear pointy boots! You will never find us and you will never get the Elf! If you kidnap the muse, then none of these stories will EVER be finished! Then all the people who read these stories will hunt YOU guys down! Mad fans are a lot scarier than Ringwraiths! And you still can't have the Elf! More of Thranduil?? Of course! That is something you can have! More of the Mighty King of Mirkwood! And OF COURSE my house has "distinguished dust"!! G Lots of it!
weirdo - Love the name!! I am so glad you like my fics! Don't go into depression, I will continue to update!! G
Rhikat - I, too, am glad that spiders in our houses aren't that smart and tricky, though it is a bit disconcerting when they turn around on the wall and look at you! ;)
random flamer - Yes, a lot of things will go wrong! That is the fun!
annakas - The spider biting them seemed to freak you a little! Hehehe! Sorry! LOL Sweet, cute, and fluffy! Love it! Yep, they tried really hard to save their skin from Tanglinna!
wellduh - Oo.?? Okay! Thanks! LOL