A special thanks to kingmaker for jump-starting the "Meanwhile in Mirkwood"
section, which had eluded me for far too long. Hannon le, mellon-nin! :)
Reviewer Responses are at the End of the chapter.... Yep, they really are! But there are spoilers if you read them first! Your choice! ;)
Have a very FUN April Fools' Day! :D
Chapter 18 – The Dorwinion Puzzle
~Meanwhile in Mirkwood – the day after Laerlend went forth to slay the "wicked Lady Balrog" ~
"What is wrong, Legolas? You do not look well. Are you sick? Elves do not get sick, so that cannot be it.... Did you get into trouble? That must be what is wrong. What did you do? Or did you do nothing and merely got in trouble for just being there? I know that happens to you all the time...."
Legolas turned to stare at Brethil with huge eyes, darkened by the turmoil he felt. Even though he was certain – and had convinced himself thoroughly that he *was* certain – that Laerlend and Lady Laureahiril were dead – and where was Celebross?! – it was some small comfort to have a friend here with him... at the end of all things....
"I am afraid, Brethil," Thranduil's youngest son confessed gloomily in a voice barely above a whisper, blue eyes morose, "that... that ...." He swallowed. "That they are... dead."
It was a relief to give voice to his fears though it did not ease the pain that knifed through him at the horrendous thought.
"Who is?" Brethil breathed, grey eyes wide as he dropped to his knees beside Legolas, fingers knitting on the prince's leggings.
The young prince's brows furrowed, and he laced his fingers together tightly.
"Laerlend," he choked, fighting back his tears. "And Tavor's grandmother! And maybe Celebross too!"
Brethil stared at him in amazement, wondering if perhaps elves did take ill on rare occasion and if they did, then surely it must affect their thinking for what Legolas was saying was just impossible!
"What happened?" he murmured, laying one cool hand on Legolas' brow and finding it not overly warm at all. He had heard that overly warm skin on your head was one of the signs of a mysterious ailment that might affect your thinking since it was your head that was overly warm – almost a cooked brain. "Were we attacked? Oh! It is because the King is not here! They knew he was gone and they attacked us! Oh, Legolas! What will we do?" His eyes began to dart about the room, expecting to see an orc leaping out at them with a curved scimitar with their names carved into it or at the very least an angry mother spider demanding the return of Bastryn. "Who will lead the warriors if your Adar is gone? Oh! And you said that Celebross is dead too! That leaves Aralith, but well, I do not think he is old enough for that job, and if there were spiders about....But Legolas! Aralith is in Imladris too!"
Legolas stared at Brethil, wondering how he could possibly have thought of all that in such a small space of time and from those few dread words that he, Legoals, had spoken.
"We... we were not attacked," he began slowly. "It is much worse...."
Much, much worse!
"What is it then?" Brethil asked as his brows knit with concern. "Where are Laerlend and Tavor's grandmother?"
Legolas gazed at him, eyes filled with sorrow and guilt, his heart aching. He decided that the best way to say this dread thing was to do it very quickly and get it over with.
"I think Lady Laureahiril used her Evil Noldorin Magic and killed Laerlend...and maybe Celebross too...."
Brethil gasped at this most unexpected pronouncement, eyes widening even more.
"Noldorin Magic?" he whispered, wondering just what that was, but thinking that it sounded horrifying.
"It is all my fault, Brethil!" Legolas continued, grabbing Brethil's hand. "I should never have let Laerlend attack Lady Laureahiril!"
"Laerlend attacked Tavor's grandmother?" Brethil gasped, his eyes widening to what surely had to be the limit that they could open to. "Oh, Legolas! Why would she do that?"
Legolas hesitantly told his friend about what had transpired the night before, feeling encouraged by the look of shock and dismay on Brethil's pale face.
"...and I have not seen any of them since then," he finished quietly, looking dejectedly at the floor. Why did this have to happen when ada was so far away?!
"We have to find Tavor!" Brethil suddenly said. "He is a Noldo! He will know what to do to counteract this Magic! Or his father will! But, oh, Legolas! What will they say when you tell them that Laerlend attacked Lady Laureahiril?! They might be very angry at you! They might Magic you!"
Legolas watched as Brethil leapt to his feet, ready to run and find Tavor or run away from Tavor and his Noldor family, but Little Greenleaf got to his own feet, grabbing Brethil's arm to stop him. If he didn't, the entire realm would think they had been attacked by Wicked Noldorin Elves with Evil Magic, and who knew what other grand, ridiculous things Brethil might conjure up.
"We can't! We can't tell anyone what has happened!"
"But-!"
"I will go with you," Legolas said, thinking that perhaps Brethil was right. Maybe Tavor would know something, though he doubted that Tavor knew any magic, Noldorin or otherwise. If he did, then surely he would have told them all about it, bragging that he knew it and they did not. "You must let me do the talking though," he cautioned. ~And we must only tell *Tavor*...not his adar or naneth...or anyone else at all!~
Brethil slowly nodded, frowning, but then he smiled at Legolas reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Legolas. All will be well! Tavor will know what to do! He always says he knows everything. Maybe he was telling the truth...."
Legolas frowned, following Brethil from the room. Tavor certainly acted like he knew everything, but then... he was often proved to know nothing whatsoever!
~*~*~*
Tanglinna stared in amazed horror at the silver-haired elf towered over him, smirking in an irritating fashion, one brow quirked.
"This is my judgment, isn't it!?" the archer gasped in dread, his voice sounding overly loud in his ears. "To listen to myself lecturing forever? I knew I shouldn't have been so hard on the younglings! I only did it for their own good! I am sorry, but...but ...." he frowned. "Or is this because of how I treated Thranduil? He is the king, after all, and I wasn't always as respectful as I should have been. That is it, isn't it? I knew I shouldn't tease him quite so much, but he is so irritating at times! It was just so fun...and so easy...." Suddenly his eyes widened, the band of hot iron - that he was certain was wrapped about his head - tightened, but he felt it was just punishment for his foolishness. "And to think, the last thing I did was call him a Blue Meanie... after I pushed him into the water and ruined his lovely blue robes... and his skin turned blue.... And to think, I thought it was funny! What is wrong with me?! I should have begged his forgiveness on my knees! I -"
"I believe you should be quiet now," the tall elf interrupted in a most annoyingly quiet voice, perching on the foot of the bed. "You are being quite ridiculous. You used to be a rather smart youngling in Doriath. If I had known that moving east with Oropher would end up affecting you this way, I would never have let you go. Everyone knows what is said about you Mirkwood elves: less wise and more dangerous. You are certainly proving the former, Celebavorn."
Tanglinna's eyes narrowed dangerously as he forced himself to concentrate on the other's features, shrouded in the room's dim shadows. He had a most unpleasant feeling suddenly that someone was playing an elaborate joke on him. It was not, he was pleased and somewhat irritated to realize, his face staring back at him. So he was right! His mother's Noldo blood had given him a slightly more angular face than his Silvan counterparts. The face before him was not a Silvan face though....
~Sinda, ~ he thought, his mouth twisting in annoyance. There was no race more irritating to him than the Sindarin Elves. This was surely some elaborate ruse on Thranduil's part!
The hair, loosely braided as he often wore his, was richer, a darker silver than his own. The eyes were....
"My eyes are *not* green," he growled at last through clenched teeth, glaring in defiance and not enjoying this small jest at all. How could anyone enjoy something like this so early in the morning, especially after one had imbibed too much the night before?
The other elf chuckled at this and grinned at the rather feral expression on Tanglinna's face.
~I had forgotten how wild these Silvans can look,~ he thought with amusement. ~Galadriel has tamed hers to be so nice and refined, courteous . . . at least when they are around us. I think I rather miss that ferocity just a bit.~
"No," he answered in an even tone that did not betray his thoughts, "more is the pity. This little caper might have lasted a bit longer if they were. How is your head? Feeling any better yet? How exactly did you come to this most painful state, Celebavorn?"
Tanglinna continued to scowl though it made him feel worse to hold his facial muscles in this position, but the amused look of concern on the green-eyed elf's face was enough incentive to bear the pain. Why did this elf look so delighted by all of this? Just who did he think he was? And why was he calling him Celebavorn – Quicksilver?!
~Well, you will certainly not look so very haughty when I am through with you!~ he thought with some satisfaction. But before he could frame a proper response -his mind was feeling just a tad sluggish this morning- the other elf said in a rather sarcastic voice,
"Elrond could easily remedy that ... *if* he were awake."
Emerald eyes met silver ones, and Tanglinna realized that this was a clue to the entire mystery that was slowly beginning to unfold. It was rather hard to form any coherent thoughts when one's head felt as though it might burst like an over-ripe melon at any moment from that exquisite and totally avoidable pain, but he would have to try. Only the other elf was speaking again, robbing him once more of his chance to do or say anything.
"It is rather odd, don't you think, that so many have fallen to sleeping at unlikely times, in unlikely places, and for what appears to be an unreasonably long period of time?"
Tanglinna frowned once more, resisting the urge to dig his fingers into his temples and force the pain out ....That had never worked before so why it should now. . . ! His eyes widened in sudden dismay as what the elf was saying suddenly began to make a horrible sense.
"Elrond is ...'sleeping'?" he choked. "Sleeping?!"
"Yes. It is a most unusual story. Shall I tell you? It will be only the first of three stories that you must hear – four if I count your story, though I think you must tell me about that, as I have not quite figured that one out. It is the fourth piece of the... Dorwinion Puzzle."
Tanglinna swallowed at this pronouncement.
"Dorwinion Puzzle? Dorwinion.... No, no, no...."
"Ah! Is it beginning to make sense now? Very good. Perhaps you would care to explain it to me. Even with my great wisdom, I am not quite certain just how this could happen. Or why."
Tanglinna, who had been staring fixedly at the sheet as he came to the realization of what must have happened while *he* was sleeping crept through him, slowly raised his eyes once more. He felt entirely too much like a disobedient child getting caught at some mischief; but once again the other silver-haired elf didn't leave him time to form a response.
"I would have asked Thranduil about it, as I am certain that he would know all of the whys and wherefores – he at least likes to pretend that he does. But alas! He is also asleep!" A wry smile accompanied these words, belying their dramatic rendering.
Tanglinna's face contorted with distress and shock at this, but – once again – he was given no time to say anything in his defense.
"Now two rulers of two of the elven realms are dreaming away yet another day, not to mention Glorfindel and Haldir, who were found, not at the stream as were Elrond and Thranduil, but in one of the greenhouses with Aralith, who is also sleeping, I might add. Though the twins have assured me that they will take excellent care of him until he awakens. You must realize, that the one thread Erestor and I could find linking these mysterious narcoleptic episodes were empty bottles of Dorwinion, which good Erestor assures me he had hidden away. He also said they were a birthday gift from...why I believe he told me they were from Thranduil. What is that? 'This wasn't supposed to happen'? Is that what you are saying? Well, that is a relief. I would hate to think this was planned! That would be unfathomable, not to mention rude! Celebavorn? Are you well? You look as though you cannot breathe."
Suddenly, Tanglinna's panic turned to irritation that was fast entering the Tanglinna the Terrible territory. Few had ever seen him this way, but this elf's constant barrage of condescending remarks that invoked irritation, distress, and dismay - as well as the all-powerful Guilt Factor - was slowly but inexorably pushing him to the edge. But just before he could let forth a barrage of curses and a few choice words that would aptly describe what he was feeling toward this maddening green-eyed, silver- haired demon of Utumno, the demon spoke once more, looking as though he knew exactly what the Silvan was going to say and that he wasn't concerned in the least.
"What is *most* distressing to me personally is that my daughter and my wife have been found in the same condition, with yet another empty bottle of Dorwinion sitting between them. This does not necessarily make me feel indulgent toward you just now, so what was it you were going to say?"
Tanglinna did snarl then and a low -he was awake enough to know that shouting the words would not help his head feel better any sooner- rather inventive Silvan curse had barely passed his lips when his memory jolted into overdrive, and he realized to whom he was speaking. It was *so very* obvious now....
"Your...your wife?" he hissed, as a sick dread swept through him. "Your *wife*?!" His voice had risen to rather undignified heights, but he didn't notice or care. "Not...not...not *HER*!"
Celeborn sighed in exasperation, not at the curse, which he had filed away in his mind to use at a later date, but at this last statement and its accompanying panic. Why, oh why, did everyone always react this way to any mention of his wife? She was actually quite nice once you got to know her...and had grown used to her...ways. But one should always take advantage of this mysterious fear that everyone exhibited toward the powerful Lady of Light.
"Yes, Celebavorn. *Her*. So unless you tell me exactly what you know of this Dorwinion Puzzle, I will let *Her* know that it was all your fault, and *She* will deal with you accordingly! You know how those scary Noldor can be!" he finished for good measure and then applauded himself as Tanglinna began to explain it all in a tumbled rush of words that would even have impressed Brethil.
~*~*~*~*~*
Does one dream when one has been enchanted by the most magical water of Morn Nen? Yes. Does one dream when, one has been enchanted by the most magical wine of Dorwinion? Of course one does. Does one dream when, they have drunk both Morn Nen water and Dorwinion wine mingled together? Now that is indeed a good question! The answer being...yes. Were these dreams merely ephemeral normal dream stuff or prophetic visions or flights of wildest fantasy? No one knows for certain....
The seven dreamers had all been placed most comfortably on their beds, their faces wreathed in delighted smiles...or perplexed ones, or angry ones or...well, it depended on the dreams that flitted through their minds.
Elrond and Celebrian, lying side by side, looking very contented, were both dreaming of the twins. Oddly enough, the twins were being so very kind and solicitous and so...well behaved, that at first the lord and lady of Imladris had been perplexed by what they saw, or rather dreamed. *Was* it the twins that they saw? Elladan's clever, skilled hands – surely it was Elladan - were busy weaving a beautiful wreath of periwinkle blossoms as he spoke quietly to Elrohir, who was seated on the bed beside a slumbering Sinda, gently brushing out the long golden hair.
~Why cannot they always be this nice? ~ Elrond and Celebrian thought in unison. ~*Are* they our twins? ~
Then they dreamed of Arwen, who was seated at the foot of the bed that another golden-haired Sinda – Thranduil surely - occupied, her face so sweet and serene that she positively...glowed.
~We have the most enchanting daughter, ~ they thought, smiling in their sleep. ~So beautiful, so fair, so lovely, so .... ~ Elrond turning onto his side, his arm curving about his wife as she snuggled against him, both slumbering on in content and satisfaction, thinking such wonderful thoughts. ~Our children are perfectly wonderful, Arwen especially so. How could we have ever thought differently.... ~
Glorfindel's dream was odd. He could see a small child, a girl with long blonde curls caught in a braid. She was wearing armor and carrying a little wooden sword. She was chanting something that he could not quite hear, but he did hear the words "I am here to slay you, O Evil Lady Balrog!" This was most distressing! Who would send such a tiny child to slay a Balrog? But...were there 'Lady' Balrogs?? He tossed restlessly, wishing he could awaken and save the poor child from a most terrible fate!
Haldir's dream was most distressing to him...and yet he felt oddly...free. He felt as though he had never dreamed before of anything except that scary Noldorin princess that ruled them all. And even as this blasphemous thought appeared, he gasped in his sleep. Surely now, he would feel that tightening of...of something in his mind...the suggestion that he loved the beautiful Lady of Light, this Most Perfect Paragon of Elfhood, the Greatest of All Living Beings, the One Person in the World that he would willingly Give Up his Entire Life -his Entire Being - for...and yet.... What was this most marvelous feeling, this most rebellious exhilaration that filled him? He was caught between what had been safe and expected and something wonderfully new...what was he to do? Should he tell Her about this, She who knew all the answers to life's questions and could make things so simple that he would not ever have to trouble himself with any worries again or any thoughts if he chose to go that way? No...he did not feel like telling Her his troubling thoughts, in fact, he....He stopped the most distressing and troubling thought...or so he believed....He rather...*liked* it this way....
Aralith was trapped in a nightmare. The twins were there, whispering and giggling and saying something about how lovely he looked. They were...brushing his hair and putting flowers in it...flowers? ~I always knew they were very strange. What are they doing?! They are as bad as Adar with his flower-strewn locks and shimmery gowns, ~ he thought in his dream. But then...yes, he knew that sound... whispery, silken, sticky, horrible ...spiders! ~No, I do not want this dream, ~ he thought in desperation. ~Not the spiders, anything but the spiders! I HATE this dream!~ But the dream would not relent and an odd creaking, rather pathetic voice whispered, "Naneth Lhing?" in his ear as one oh-so-soft, oh-so-long, oh-so-furry leg brushed his cheek....
Thranduil's dream was quite pleasant to begin with: he was dreaming of all the things he would do to a certain Master Archer – may he rot forever in the lowest dungeon of Udun! – who had caused all this trouble in the first place. Then things got rather ... odd. *She* was there, perched so gracefully on the foot of his bed, her eyes like limpid pools of starlight. She exuded such concern and such...loveliness that his breath was taken away. Had he truly lived until now?? She smiled gently at him, her full lips parted oh so delicately. She was Elbereth herself! Was he dead then? Had that drugged wine killed him? If it had, Tanglinna was really going to pay! But no.... Mandos surely did not look like that – would he??- and Elbereth would probably not meet him at the gates of Mandos Hall...would she? No, she would not, which meant he was not dead. So what was going on and who was this? He could feel the slightest pressure, rather pleasant really, but just a bit...annoying as well...in his mind. He glared, or so he thought he did. In truth, he merely twitched a little on the bed, causing her to shift slightly and smile just a bit more mysteriously as she leaned forward, exerting herself just a bit more.
~Oh no, you do not, ~ he thought, feeling the little band about his will tightening. ~I will not fall for your Noldor tricks! You cannot control me! But you are the most lovely, graceful creature I have ever beheld!~
And so the struggle for mastery began; Arwen smiling ever so charmingly.
The last dreamer was having the most unpleasant dream of all. Galadriel the Lady of Light; Bearer of the ring Nenya; Noldorin princess Nerwen daughter of Finarfin and Earwen, sister of Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, Aegnor; Lady of Lorien; the Lady of the Wood; the Lady of the Galadrim (everyone thought they were named for the trees! How silly!) the White Lady; the Sorceress of the Golden Wood - no one had called her that! -the Mistress of Magic...no one had called her that either! Not yet anyway. She would have to consult her Mirror about those last two names. And, of course, the Wife of Celeborn the Wise. All her glorious names could not console her, though they were quite an impressive array. Something was very, VEEERY wrong! They were...free! All her little Galadrim were no longer under her control! WHAT HAD HAPPENED?!?! She tried to exert her power over them, recapture their hearts and minds, make them truly hers again, but something was very, VEEERY wrong! She could almost hear them laughing, making merry in the Golden Woods, which seemed suddenly so very far away! What was this?! What had happened?! Who had worked this foul sorcery, this devilry? Well, they would pay! Yes, they would and they would see what the wrath of a Noldo princess could be!
If only she could wake up....
TBC
Response to Reviewers
*sheepish grin* Hm...very, very late. Sorry! :)
Dis Thrainsdotter – Things have finally – finally gotten under way in this tale, and will get even more interesting when most of the main players manage to wake up.
Eriks-lil-rocker – Now you know indeed what the young prince is up to...or about to be up to.
Dragon-of-the-north – Arwen will indeed and appears to have found a more 'demanding' target...we shall see. And well, yes, prejudiced Wood-elves abound, Alagaith. You should know that by now! ;) Tanglinna has no comment on whether real birds or carved ones are better or on the orcish brandy..."He should know by know what will happen!" (in blue...of course;))
JastaElf – Well, I am back again...after nearly four months. :/ Tanglinna appreciates your care of him as well as your caution. ;) As for Appendix Girl...well, she is actually rather easy to work with...if you let her have her way. ;)
Tinni – Finally, there is another chapter! ;)
Kal the Magnificent – Good point about sleeping pills and alcohol, but since this is my rather silly tale, all will be well.... As for Tanglinna being Schizo before all of this...I am not saying. ;) But what is this?? You want Aralith where?? I shall send him to you posthaste with some... cough medicine, mel-nin! ;D
daw the minstrel –I am not sure what Tanglinna is doing, that remains to be seen. ;) As for counting the spider as someone, I do. ;)
Sirithiliel – Sorry this update took so long. I will try – TRY – to do better in future! ;)
DreamReader formerly known as Hypy ;)) – I do love my guilty pleasures and am pleased that you share them ;) How is your puppy? Growing up by now...as it took me months to get this chapter actually finished! I am sure that she and Bastryn would get along just fine! ;)
WeasleyTwinsLover1112 – Hm....Ah, good question. Knife's Edge's next chapter is started. Let's just say that battle scenes are NOT my forte! And well, no, Tanglinna was not actually talking to himself....this time. ;)
None – Hi! Aralith and Glorfindel do have a lot in common and should be good friends...when they wake up. As for Little Greenleaf – as you see he is getting his own side story already. I missed him too! :)
emma – I hope you enjoyed this round of "more". (
Erestor – Sorry that I gave Glorfindel the wine a bit sooner than you would have liked. Needless to say Imladris' Erestor will not be pleased by this. ;) Haldir does indeed like it, and can even – almost – admit it to himself. And yes. Celeborn was guilty of the Tanglinna Impersonation of the Day. ;)
kingmaker – I am glad you are an Arwen fan; her part has grown and will grow just for you. The bottle count is down to one – if I am remembering correctly, and it is entirely possible that I am not...now where did Erestor hide it?? Luckily for Tanglinna, he will not have to sort it out on his own. There are a few elves left standing after all...mostly preoccupied with other things, but still standing...for the moment. ;) And the rest will awaken soon...that will be fun! ;)
Hel – LOL Yes, I suspect that the way to Bastryn's heart is his stomach...typical male, I suppose. ;) I think that by the time this is over everyone will be thinking everyone else is very strange...and there is now one bottle of Dorwinion Morn Nen on the wall...so to speak. ;)
Phoenix Flight – I like delightful messes...obviously! ;) They will continue!
the evil witch queen – LOL Hm, yes, a Gollum version of Tanglinna might be fun. You should write that one! ;) Well, the ladies did get the third bottle, but the fourth is still in hiding. Now you can see what is wrong with Haldir. He has been set free of his own enchantment. ;)
Angaloth – Poor Haldir indeed. He does not quite feel like himself at the moment. And luckily there was no "precious" exchanged in Tanglinna's conversation. Then even I might be worried! ;)
Karina – Replies this time. I won't do that twice in a row! ;) I like Celeborn too, he is a very strong elf... he has to put up with Galadriel after all. ;) Haldir is too easy a target for Arwen, or he was...we shall see what comes of this new development with Haldir's sudden freedom. It will be fun to see what he remembers when he wakes up! Tanglinna definitely needs a stay at Mirkwood Mental Health Clinic for the Elvishly Insane...I suspect he thinks so too! It is probably nice and quiet there, isn't it??? ;)
Lutris – Erestor should have hidden those bottles better indeed! That will be an interesting conversation! ;) Bells of Silver, hm? I have that finished, but not typed as I misplaced the tablet....I will find it though! I promise! (
Nadra – Happy April Fools Day! Hm, I seem to only post on or near holidays! ;) I am sorry to hear that you hate spiders...I have learned to like them...though it took years to do so. As for Glory being cut from ROTK...well, that gorgeous golden elf at the coronation was indeed Glorfindel...or so I have decided. ;) It would be nice if they would take your Silm script. There are many lovely plotlines in that book that would make marvelous movies! And I would love to see my silver archer on the big screen. *looks mildly embarrassed by that admission* We can hope that The Hobbit will be made and Dandy Thrandy will then get his screen time! Yay!! :D
fliewatuet – Well, elves suffer from hangovers in my little universe anyway. ;) Arwen, I suspect, will be able to charm anything she wishes to over time. And yes, I think Aralith should enlist her aid with Bastryn! He is going to need it! ;)
erunyauve – ff.net can be a pain at times, but usually we like them. ;) Well, there is only one bottle left unaccounted for...who knows what might come of that one...if it is found that is. ;)
Ptath – LOL indeed. Two Tanglinnas...yes, the possibilities are...fantastic! ;) Well, I am not exactly sure how long the poor elves will sleep, but they will all have to be dealt with when they awaken, and even asleep, Thranduil is not very happy. ;)
AURORA – Hi, Aurora! ( I had to laugh, because I think it is time for the big boys to get into trouble, though the Trio has a few problems of its own in Mirkwood. The fun is just beginning...at chapter 18! ;)
uril – I am sorry that this update took me so long. I hope that the next one will not take so very long. (
dark_angel2288 – Yes, poor EVERYONE! I am very mean and I am not prejudiced about whom I do it to. ;) They are ALL in for trouble!
UbiquitousPitt – So you want the Skulking Cutpurse and his little Peacock friend, hm? Well, I fear you would have to fight Dragon and I for them...we are a bit...fond of them both! ;) Hm... "two personalities"?? What do you mean? ;) I do not want to know! LOL Haldir will get some fun in the upcoming chapters, never fear! He can explode all over you then! ;) I will torment the poor dear as much as you like! ;) Arwen will TRY to charm Thranduil, but I suspect he is a rather strong minded individual and won't be so easy to enchant. Don't cry! The next one will not take so long to come forth! *crosses fingers and hopes for the best*
Venyatuima – Tanglinna can be stupid and on occasion he can even admit that he was stupid. ;) Yes, he will have to face Thranduil at some point and Glory and Aralith will have to face Bastryn, and Haldir will have to face the scary Noldo princess. ;) What fun!
Tant – I am sorry I left them like that at the end of the last chapter...but I fear they are not much better off at the end of this chapter...or are they?? ;)
CanonKillerEllierInElfPajamas – Love your name! :) I am glad you found this little silly story and are enjoying it. I hope you liked this last chapter as well!
Amlee – I hope that this update satisfied you...for now. More coming soon! (
Espel – I have enjoyed reading your reviews this past week! Marathon reading is rare! Thank you so much for sticking with this longish tale and telling me you have enjoyed it thus far! :)
Reviewer Responses are at the End of the chapter.... Yep, they really are! But there are spoilers if you read them first! Your choice! ;)
Have a very FUN April Fools' Day! :D
Chapter 18 – The Dorwinion Puzzle
~Meanwhile in Mirkwood – the day after Laerlend went forth to slay the "wicked Lady Balrog" ~
"What is wrong, Legolas? You do not look well. Are you sick? Elves do not get sick, so that cannot be it.... Did you get into trouble? That must be what is wrong. What did you do? Or did you do nothing and merely got in trouble for just being there? I know that happens to you all the time...."
Legolas turned to stare at Brethil with huge eyes, darkened by the turmoil he felt. Even though he was certain – and had convinced himself thoroughly that he *was* certain – that Laerlend and Lady Laureahiril were dead – and where was Celebross?! – it was some small comfort to have a friend here with him... at the end of all things....
"I am afraid, Brethil," Thranduil's youngest son confessed gloomily in a voice barely above a whisper, blue eyes morose, "that... that ...." He swallowed. "That they are... dead."
It was a relief to give voice to his fears though it did not ease the pain that knifed through him at the horrendous thought.
"Who is?" Brethil breathed, grey eyes wide as he dropped to his knees beside Legolas, fingers knitting on the prince's leggings.
The young prince's brows furrowed, and he laced his fingers together tightly.
"Laerlend," he choked, fighting back his tears. "And Tavor's grandmother! And maybe Celebross too!"
Brethil stared at him in amazement, wondering if perhaps elves did take ill on rare occasion and if they did, then surely it must affect their thinking for what Legolas was saying was just impossible!
"What happened?" he murmured, laying one cool hand on Legolas' brow and finding it not overly warm at all. He had heard that overly warm skin on your head was one of the signs of a mysterious ailment that might affect your thinking since it was your head that was overly warm – almost a cooked brain. "Were we attacked? Oh! It is because the King is not here! They knew he was gone and they attacked us! Oh, Legolas! What will we do?" His eyes began to dart about the room, expecting to see an orc leaping out at them with a curved scimitar with their names carved into it or at the very least an angry mother spider demanding the return of Bastryn. "Who will lead the warriors if your Adar is gone? Oh! And you said that Celebross is dead too! That leaves Aralith, but well, I do not think he is old enough for that job, and if there were spiders about....But Legolas! Aralith is in Imladris too!"
Legolas stared at Brethil, wondering how he could possibly have thought of all that in such a small space of time and from those few dread words that he, Legoals, had spoken.
"We... we were not attacked," he began slowly. "It is much worse...."
Much, much worse!
"What is it then?" Brethil asked as his brows knit with concern. "Where are Laerlend and Tavor's grandmother?"
Legolas gazed at him, eyes filled with sorrow and guilt, his heart aching. He decided that the best way to say this dread thing was to do it very quickly and get it over with.
"I think Lady Laureahiril used her Evil Noldorin Magic and killed Laerlend...and maybe Celebross too...."
Brethil gasped at this most unexpected pronouncement, eyes widening even more.
"Noldorin Magic?" he whispered, wondering just what that was, but thinking that it sounded horrifying.
"It is all my fault, Brethil!" Legolas continued, grabbing Brethil's hand. "I should never have let Laerlend attack Lady Laureahiril!"
"Laerlend attacked Tavor's grandmother?" Brethil gasped, his eyes widening to what surely had to be the limit that they could open to. "Oh, Legolas! Why would she do that?"
Legolas hesitantly told his friend about what had transpired the night before, feeling encouraged by the look of shock and dismay on Brethil's pale face.
"...and I have not seen any of them since then," he finished quietly, looking dejectedly at the floor. Why did this have to happen when ada was so far away?!
"We have to find Tavor!" Brethil suddenly said. "He is a Noldo! He will know what to do to counteract this Magic! Or his father will! But, oh, Legolas! What will they say when you tell them that Laerlend attacked Lady Laureahiril?! They might be very angry at you! They might Magic you!"
Legolas watched as Brethil leapt to his feet, ready to run and find Tavor or run away from Tavor and his Noldor family, but Little Greenleaf got to his own feet, grabbing Brethil's arm to stop him. If he didn't, the entire realm would think they had been attacked by Wicked Noldorin Elves with Evil Magic, and who knew what other grand, ridiculous things Brethil might conjure up.
"We can't! We can't tell anyone what has happened!"
"But-!"
"I will go with you," Legolas said, thinking that perhaps Brethil was right. Maybe Tavor would know something, though he doubted that Tavor knew any magic, Noldorin or otherwise. If he did, then surely he would have told them all about it, bragging that he knew it and they did not. "You must let me do the talking though," he cautioned. ~And we must only tell *Tavor*...not his adar or naneth...or anyone else at all!~
Brethil slowly nodded, frowning, but then he smiled at Legolas reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Legolas. All will be well! Tavor will know what to do! He always says he knows everything. Maybe he was telling the truth...."
Legolas frowned, following Brethil from the room. Tavor certainly acted like he knew everything, but then... he was often proved to know nothing whatsoever!
~*~*~*
Tanglinna stared in amazed horror at the silver-haired elf towered over him, smirking in an irritating fashion, one brow quirked.
"This is my judgment, isn't it!?" the archer gasped in dread, his voice sounding overly loud in his ears. "To listen to myself lecturing forever? I knew I shouldn't have been so hard on the younglings! I only did it for their own good! I am sorry, but...but ...." he frowned. "Or is this because of how I treated Thranduil? He is the king, after all, and I wasn't always as respectful as I should have been. That is it, isn't it? I knew I shouldn't tease him quite so much, but he is so irritating at times! It was just so fun...and so easy...." Suddenly his eyes widened, the band of hot iron - that he was certain was wrapped about his head - tightened, but he felt it was just punishment for his foolishness. "And to think, the last thing I did was call him a Blue Meanie... after I pushed him into the water and ruined his lovely blue robes... and his skin turned blue.... And to think, I thought it was funny! What is wrong with me?! I should have begged his forgiveness on my knees! I -"
"I believe you should be quiet now," the tall elf interrupted in a most annoyingly quiet voice, perching on the foot of the bed. "You are being quite ridiculous. You used to be a rather smart youngling in Doriath. If I had known that moving east with Oropher would end up affecting you this way, I would never have let you go. Everyone knows what is said about you Mirkwood elves: less wise and more dangerous. You are certainly proving the former, Celebavorn."
Tanglinna's eyes narrowed dangerously as he forced himself to concentrate on the other's features, shrouded in the room's dim shadows. He had a most unpleasant feeling suddenly that someone was playing an elaborate joke on him. It was not, he was pleased and somewhat irritated to realize, his face staring back at him. So he was right! His mother's Noldo blood had given him a slightly more angular face than his Silvan counterparts. The face before him was not a Silvan face though....
~Sinda, ~ he thought, his mouth twisting in annoyance. There was no race more irritating to him than the Sindarin Elves. This was surely some elaborate ruse on Thranduil's part!
The hair, loosely braided as he often wore his, was richer, a darker silver than his own. The eyes were....
"My eyes are *not* green," he growled at last through clenched teeth, glaring in defiance and not enjoying this small jest at all. How could anyone enjoy something like this so early in the morning, especially after one had imbibed too much the night before?
The other elf chuckled at this and grinned at the rather feral expression on Tanglinna's face.
~I had forgotten how wild these Silvans can look,~ he thought with amusement. ~Galadriel has tamed hers to be so nice and refined, courteous . . . at least when they are around us. I think I rather miss that ferocity just a bit.~
"No," he answered in an even tone that did not betray his thoughts, "more is the pity. This little caper might have lasted a bit longer if they were. How is your head? Feeling any better yet? How exactly did you come to this most painful state, Celebavorn?"
Tanglinna continued to scowl though it made him feel worse to hold his facial muscles in this position, but the amused look of concern on the green-eyed elf's face was enough incentive to bear the pain. Why did this elf look so delighted by all of this? Just who did he think he was? And why was he calling him Celebavorn – Quicksilver?!
~Well, you will certainly not look so very haughty when I am through with you!~ he thought with some satisfaction. But before he could frame a proper response -his mind was feeling just a tad sluggish this morning- the other elf said in a rather sarcastic voice,
"Elrond could easily remedy that ... *if* he were awake."
Emerald eyes met silver ones, and Tanglinna realized that this was a clue to the entire mystery that was slowly beginning to unfold. It was rather hard to form any coherent thoughts when one's head felt as though it might burst like an over-ripe melon at any moment from that exquisite and totally avoidable pain, but he would have to try. Only the other elf was speaking again, robbing him once more of his chance to do or say anything.
"It is rather odd, don't you think, that so many have fallen to sleeping at unlikely times, in unlikely places, and for what appears to be an unreasonably long period of time?"
Tanglinna frowned once more, resisting the urge to dig his fingers into his temples and force the pain out ....That had never worked before so why it should now. . . ! His eyes widened in sudden dismay as what the elf was saying suddenly began to make a horrible sense.
"Elrond is ...'sleeping'?" he choked. "Sleeping?!"
"Yes. It is a most unusual story. Shall I tell you? It will be only the first of three stories that you must hear – four if I count your story, though I think you must tell me about that, as I have not quite figured that one out. It is the fourth piece of the... Dorwinion Puzzle."
Tanglinna swallowed at this pronouncement.
"Dorwinion Puzzle? Dorwinion.... No, no, no...."
"Ah! Is it beginning to make sense now? Very good. Perhaps you would care to explain it to me. Even with my great wisdom, I am not quite certain just how this could happen. Or why."
Tanglinna, who had been staring fixedly at the sheet as he came to the realization of what must have happened while *he* was sleeping crept through him, slowly raised his eyes once more. He felt entirely too much like a disobedient child getting caught at some mischief; but once again the other silver-haired elf didn't leave him time to form a response.
"I would have asked Thranduil about it, as I am certain that he would know all of the whys and wherefores – he at least likes to pretend that he does. But alas! He is also asleep!" A wry smile accompanied these words, belying their dramatic rendering.
Tanglinna's face contorted with distress and shock at this, but – once again – he was given no time to say anything in his defense.
"Now two rulers of two of the elven realms are dreaming away yet another day, not to mention Glorfindel and Haldir, who were found, not at the stream as were Elrond and Thranduil, but in one of the greenhouses with Aralith, who is also sleeping, I might add. Though the twins have assured me that they will take excellent care of him until he awakens. You must realize, that the one thread Erestor and I could find linking these mysterious narcoleptic episodes were empty bottles of Dorwinion, which good Erestor assures me he had hidden away. He also said they were a birthday gift from...why I believe he told me they were from Thranduil. What is that? 'This wasn't supposed to happen'? Is that what you are saying? Well, that is a relief. I would hate to think this was planned! That would be unfathomable, not to mention rude! Celebavorn? Are you well? You look as though you cannot breathe."
Suddenly, Tanglinna's panic turned to irritation that was fast entering the Tanglinna the Terrible territory. Few had ever seen him this way, but this elf's constant barrage of condescending remarks that invoked irritation, distress, and dismay - as well as the all-powerful Guilt Factor - was slowly but inexorably pushing him to the edge. But just before he could let forth a barrage of curses and a few choice words that would aptly describe what he was feeling toward this maddening green-eyed, silver- haired demon of Utumno, the demon spoke once more, looking as though he knew exactly what the Silvan was going to say and that he wasn't concerned in the least.
"What is *most* distressing to me personally is that my daughter and my wife have been found in the same condition, with yet another empty bottle of Dorwinion sitting between them. This does not necessarily make me feel indulgent toward you just now, so what was it you were going to say?"
Tanglinna did snarl then and a low -he was awake enough to know that shouting the words would not help his head feel better any sooner- rather inventive Silvan curse had barely passed his lips when his memory jolted into overdrive, and he realized to whom he was speaking. It was *so very* obvious now....
"Your...your wife?" he hissed, as a sick dread swept through him. "Your *wife*?!" His voice had risen to rather undignified heights, but he didn't notice or care. "Not...not...not *HER*!"
Celeborn sighed in exasperation, not at the curse, which he had filed away in his mind to use at a later date, but at this last statement and its accompanying panic. Why, oh why, did everyone always react this way to any mention of his wife? She was actually quite nice once you got to know her...and had grown used to her...ways. But one should always take advantage of this mysterious fear that everyone exhibited toward the powerful Lady of Light.
"Yes, Celebavorn. *Her*. So unless you tell me exactly what you know of this Dorwinion Puzzle, I will let *Her* know that it was all your fault, and *She* will deal with you accordingly! You know how those scary Noldor can be!" he finished for good measure and then applauded himself as Tanglinna began to explain it all in a tumbled rush of words that would even have impressed Brethil.
~*~*~*~*~*
Does one dream when one has been enchanted by the most magical water of Morn Nen? Yes. Does one dream when, one has been enchanted by the most magical wine of Dorwinion? Of course one does. Does one dream when, they have drunk both Morn Nen water and Dorwinion wine mingled together? Now that is indeed a good question! The answer being...yes. Were these dreams merely ephemeral normal dream stuff or prophetic visions or flights of wildest fantasy? No one knows for certain....
The seven dreamers had all been placed most comfortably on their beds, their faces wreathed in delighted smiles...or perplexed ones, or angry ones or...well, it depended on the dreams that flitted through their minds.
Elrond and Celebrian, lying side by side, looking very contented, were both dreaming of the twins. Oddly enough, the twins were being so very kind and solicitous and so...well behaved, that at first the lord and lady of Imladris had been perplexed by what they saw, or rather dreamed. *Was* it the twins that they saw? Elladan's clever, skilled hands – surely it was Elladan - were busy weaving a beautiful wreath of periwinkle blossoms as he spoke quietly to Elrohir, who was seated on the bed beside a slumbering Sinda, gently brushing out the long golden hair.
~Why cannot they always be this nice? ~ Elrond and Celebrian thought in unison. ~*Are* they our twins? ~
Then they dreamed of Arwen, who was seated at the foot of the bed that another golden-haired Sinda – Thranduil surely - occupied, her face so sweet and serene that she positively...glowed.
~We have the most enchanting daughter, ~ they thought, smiling in their sleep. ~So beautiful, so fair, so lovely, so .... ~ Elrond turning onto his side, his arm curving about his wife as she snuggled against him, both slumbering on in content and satisfaction, thinking such wonderful thoughts. ~Our children are perfectly wonderful, Arwen especially so. How could we have ever thought differently.... ~
Glorfindel's dream was odd. He could see a small child, a girl with long blonde curls caught in a braid. She was wearing armor and carrying a little wooden sword. She was chanting something that he could not quite hear, but he did hear the words "I am here to slay you, O Evil Lady Balrog!" This was most distressing! Who would send such a tiny child to slay a Balrog? But...were there 'Lady' Balrogs?? He tossed restlessly, wishing he could awaken and save the poor child from a most terrible fate!
Haldir's dream was most distressing to him...and yet he felt oddly...free. He felt as though he had never dreamed before of anything except that scary Noldorin princess that ruled them all. And even as this blasphemous thought appeared, he gasped in his sleep. Surely now, he would feel that tightening of...of something in his mind...the suggestion that he loved the beautiful Lady of Light, this Most Perfect Paragon of Elfhood, the Greatest of All Living Beings, the One Person in the World that he would willingly Give Up his Entire Life -his Entire Being - for...and yet.... What was this most marvelous feeling, this most rebellious exhilaration that filled him? He was caught between what had been safe and expected and something wonderfully new...what was he to do? Should he tell Her about this, She who knew all the answers to life's questions and could make things so simple that he would not ever have to trouble himself with any worries again or any thoughts if he chose to go that way? No...he did not feel like telling Her his troubling thoughts, in fact, he....He stopped the most distressing and troubling thought...or so he believed....He rather...*liked* it this way....
Aralith was trapped in a nightmare. The twins were there, whispering and giggling and saying something about how lovely he looked. They were...brushing his hair and putting flowers in it...flowers? ~I always knew they were very strange. What are they doing?! They are as bad as Adar with his flower-strewn locks and shimmery gowns, ~ he thought in his dream. But then...yes, he knew that sound... whispery, silken, sticky, horrible ...spiders! ~No, I do not want this dream, ~ he thought in desperation. ~Not the spiders, anything but the spiders! I HATE this dream!~ But the dream would not relent and an odd creaking, rather pathetic voice whispered, "Naneth Lhing?" in his ear as one oh-so-soft, oh-so-long, oh-so-furry leg brushed his cheek....
Thranduil's dream was quite pleasant to begin with: he was dreaming of all the things he would do to a certain Master Archer – may he rot forever in the lowest dungeon of Udun! – who had caused all this trouble in the first place. Then things got rather ... odd. *She* was there, perched so gracefully on the foot of his bed, her eyes like limpid pools of starlight. She exuded such concern and such...loveliness that his breath was taken away. Had he truly lived until now?? She smiled gently at him, her full lips parted oh so delicately. She was Elbereth herself! Was he dead then? Had that drugged wine killed him? If it had, Tanglinna was really going to pay! But no.... Mandos surely did not look like that – would he??- and Elbereth would probably not meet him at the gates of Mandos Hall...would she? No, she would not, which meant he was not dead. So what was going on and who was this? He could feel the slightest pressure, rather pleasant really, but just a bit...annoying as well...in his mind. He glared, or so he thought he did. In truth, he merely twitched a little on the bed, causing her to shift slightly and smile just a bit more mysteriously as she leaned forward, exerting herself just a bit more.
~Oh no, you do not, ~ he thought, feeling the little band about his will tightening. ~I will not fall for your Noldor tricks! You cannot control me! But you are the most lovely, graceful creature I have ever beheld!~
And so the struggle for mastery began; Arwen smiling ever so charmingly.
The last dreamer was having the most unpleasant dream of all. Galadriel the Lady of Light; Bearer of the ring Nenya; Noldorin princess Nerwen daughter of Finarfin and Earwen, sister of Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, Aegnor; Lady of Lorien; the Lady of the Wood; the Lady of the Galadrim (everyone thought they were named for the trees! How silly!) the White Lady; the Sorceress of the Golden Wood - no one had called her that! -the Mistress of Magic...no one had called her that either! Not yet anyway. She would have to consult her Mirror about those last two names. And, of course, the Wife of Celeborn the Wise. All her glorious names could not console her, though they were quite an impressive array. Something was very, VEEERY wrong! They were...free! All her little Galadrim were no longer under her control! WHAT HAD HAPPENED?!?! She tried to exert her power over them, recapture their hearts and minds, make them truly hers again, but something was very, VEEERY wrong! She could almost hear them laughing, making merry in the Golden Woods, which seemed suddenly so very far away! What was this?! What had happened?! Who had worked this foul sorcery, this devilry? Well, they would pay! Yes, they would and they would see what the wrath of a Noldo princess could be!
If only she could wake up....
TBC
Response to Reviewers
*sheepish grin* Hm...very, very late. Sorry! :)
Dis Thrainsdotter – Things have finally – finally gotten under way in this tale, and will get even more interesting when most of the main players manage to wake up.
Eriks-lil-rocker – Now you know indeed what the young prince is up to...or about to be up to.
Dragon-of-the-north – Arwen will indeed and appears to have found a more 'demanding' target...we shall see. And well, yes, prejudiced Wood-elves abound, Alagaith. You should know that by now! ;) Tanglinna has no comment on whether real birds or carved ones are better or on the orcish brandy..."He should know by know what will happen!" (in blue...of course;))
JastaElf – Well, I am back again...after nearly four months. :/ Tanglinna appreciates your care of him as well as your caution. ;) As for Appendix Girl...well, she is actually rather easy to work with...if you let her have her way. ;)
Tinni – Finally, there is another chapter! ;)
Kal the Magnificent – Good point about sleeping pills and alcohol, but since this is my rather silly tale, all will be well.... As for Tanglinna being Schizo before all of this...I am not saying. ;) But what is this?? You want Aralith where?? I shall send him to you posthaste with some... cough medicine, mel-nin! ;D
daw the minstrel –I am not sure what Tanglinna is doing, that remains to be seen. ;) As for counting the spider as someone, I do. ;)
Sirithiliel – Sorry this update took so long. I will try – TRY – to do better in future! ;)
DreamReader formerly known as Hypy ;)) – I do love my guilty pleasures and am pleased that you share them ;) How is your puppy? Growing up by now...as it took me months to get this chapter actually finished! I am sure that she and Bastryn would get along just fine! ;)
WeasleyTwinsLover1112 – Hm....Ah, good question. Knife's Edge's next chapter is started. Let's just say that battle scenes are NOT my forte! And well, no, Tanglinna was not actually talking to himself....this time. ;)
None – Hi! Aralith and Glorfindel do have a lot in common and should be good friends...when they wake up. As for Little Greenleaf – as you see he is getting his own side story already. I missed him too! :)
emma – I hope you enjoyed this round of "more". (
Erestor – Sorry that I gave Glorfindel the wine a bit sooner than you would have liked. Needless to say Imladris' Erestor will not be pleased by this. ;) Haldir does indeed like it, and can even – almost – admit it to himself. And yes. Celeborn was guilty of the Tanglinna Impersonation of the Day. ;)
kingmaker – I am glad you are an Arwen fan; her part has grown and will grow just for you. The bottle count is down to one – if I am remembering correctly, and it is entirely possible that I am not...now where did Erestor hide it?? Luckily for Tanglinna, he will not have to sort it out on his own. There are a few elves left standing after all...mostly preoccupied with other things, but still standing...for the moment. ;) And the rest will awaken soon...that will be fun! ;)
Hel – LOL Yes, I suspect that the way to Bastryn's heart is his stomach...typical male, I suppose. ;) I think that by the time this is over everyone will be thinking everyone else is very strange...and there is now one bottle of Dorwinion Morn Nen on the wall...so to speak. ;)
Phoenix Flight – I like delightful messes...obviously! ;) They will continue!
the evil witch queen – LOL Hm, yes, a Gollum version of Tanglinna might be fun. You should write that one! ;) Well, the ladies did get the third bottle, but the fourth is still in hiding. Now you can see what is wrong with Haldir. He has been set free of his own enchantment. ;)
Angaloth – Poor Haldir indeed. He does not quite feel like himself at the moment. And luckily there was no "precious" exchanged in Tanglinna's conversation. Then even I might be worried! ;)
Karina – Replies this time. I won't do that twice in a row! ;) I like Celeborn too, he is a very strong elf... he has to put up with Galadriel after all. ;) Haldir is too easy a target for Arwen, or he was...we shall see what comes of this new development with Haldir's sudden freedom. It will be fun to see what he remembers when he wakes up! Tanglinna definitely needs a stay at Mirkwood Mental Health Clinic for the Elvishly Insane...I suspect he thinks so too! It is probably nice and quiet there, isn't it??? ;)
Lutris – Erestor should have hidden those bottles better indeed! That will be an interesting conversation! ;) Bells of Silver, hm? I have that finished, but not typed as I misplaced the tablet....I will find it though! I promise! (
Nadra – Happy April Fools Day! Hm, I seem to only post on or near holidays! ;) I am sorry to hear that you hate spiders...I have learned to like them...though it took years to do so. As for Glory being cut from ROTK...well, that gorgeous golden elf at the coronation was indeed Glorfindel...or so I have decided. ;) It would be nice if they would take your Silm script. There are many lovely plotlines in that book that would make marvelous movies! And I would love to see my silver archer on the big screen. *looks mildly embarrassed by that admission* We can hope that The Hobbit will be made and Dandy Thrandy will then get his screen time! Yay!! :D
fliewatuet – Well, elves suffer from hangovers in my little universe anyway. ;) Arwen, I suspect, will be able to charm anything she wishes to over time. And yes, I think Aralith should enlist her aid with Bastryn! He is going to need it! ;)
erunyauve – ff.net can be a pain at times, but usually we like them. ;) Well, there is only one bottle left unaccounted for...who knows what might come of that one...if it is found that is. ;)
Ptath – LOL indeed. Two Tanglinnas...yes, the possibilities are...fantastic! ;) Well, I am not exactly sure how long the poor elves will sleep, but they will all have to be dealt with when they awaken, and even asleep, Thranduil is not very happy. ;)
AURORA – Hi, Aurora! ( I had to laugh, because I think it is time for the big boys to get into trouble, though the Trio has a few problems of its own in Mirkwood. The fun is just beginning...at chapter 18! ;)
uril – I am sorry that this update took me so long. I hope that the next one will not take so very long. (
dark_angel2288 – Yes, poor EVERYONE! I am very mean and I am not prejudiced about whom I do it to. ;) They are ALL in for trouble!
UbiquitousPitt – So you want the Skulking Cutpurse and his little Peacock friend, hm? Well, I fear you would have to fight Dragon and I for them...we are a bit...fond of them both! ;) Hm... "two personalities"?? What do you mean? ;) I do not want to know! LOL Haldir will get some fun in the upcoming chapters, never fear! He can explode all over you then! ;) I will torment the poor dear as much as you like! ;) Arwen will TRY to charm Thranduil, but I suspect he is a rather strong minded individual and won't be so easy to enchant. Don't cry! The next one will not take so long to come forth! *crosses fingers and hopes for the best*
Venyatuima – Tanglinna can be stupid and on occasion he can even admit that he was stupid. ;) Yes, he will have to face Thranduil at some point and Glory and Aralith will have to face Bastryn, and Haldir will have to face the scary Noldo princess. ;) What fun!
Tant – I am sorry I left them like that at the end of the last chapter...but I fear they are not much better off at the end of this chapter...or are they?? ;)
CanonKillerEllierInElfPajamas – Love your name! :) I am glad you found this little silly story and are enjoying it. I hope you liked this last chapter as well!
Amlee – I hope that this update satisfied you...for now. More coming soon! (
Espel – I have enjoyed reading your reviews this past week! Marathon reading is rare! Thank you so much for sticking with this longish tale and telling me you have enjoyed it thus far! :)