Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places
thereof
****
"I bet we could get him on it," Elrohir said suddenly.
"What?"
The others turned to him, wondering why he had that mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"I propose a challenge. It should work best with teams, I think, two against two. The first team to cause Ada to turn his face purple with anger wins. Sexual tactics must be used." Elrohir grinned.
Elladan felt that, as the oldest, he ought to oppose this. "It's the worst possible time--"
"Never, 'tis the best!" returned Legolas. "Why, with my father here, and the Lord and Lady of Lorien, what should it be but brilliant?"
Elrohir called out, "Teams with Elladan!"
Estel threw a pillow at him. "That's sick!"
"Well, it's not as bad as having to flirt with you," Elrohir shot back.
Legolas separated them; "Get back in your kennels, girls." Estel and Elrohir whacked him with pillows.
The four of them were relaxing in the twins' bedchamber before supper. A meeting was come of the three great Elven realms, giving the children of these realms a chance to get together and, though they were all grown, act like children.
Elladan, as the others fought, had drafted up a set of rules, for although he voiced an opposition to the contest his heart longer to compete. "Listen, listen everyone! Listen, these are the rules: no kissing until tomorrow. No erotic touching until the day after. No intercourse under any circumstances."
There was a round of laughter. "What about with Arwen?" Legolas called out. The other three pummeled him.
"The contest begins at supper tonight!" Elladan shouted out. "And the pot...fifty each."
"Thirty," Estel replied.
"Forty."
"Done."
They pooled their money and stashed it all together.
"First ones to cause Lord Elrond to lose his temper win. If he hasn't lost his temper by sunset on the third day, the game is up and funds go to Ada," Elladan concluded. They shook hands solemnly.
"Shall we draw straws for choosing teams?" Legolas asked. This was duly agreed to and Elrohir produced four straws. Elladan drew first, and all breath was held. Everyone knew that if the twins teamed up they had an immediate advantage. Elrohir hoped that Elladan would pull the short straw and so choose first. Estel and Legolas hoped that Elladan would draw a long straw and choose last. But then, Elladan had seemed none too keen on kissing his brother.
"Short straw!" Elladan called. "Elrohir. Will you be on my team?"
"Sick!" Legolas exclaimed. "You're twins!"
Elladan gave him a superior look. "Yes, we are. And it will drive Ada up the wall!"
*
At that very moment, Lord Erestor had been walking down the corridor and heard some rather disturbing talk. He paused long enough to gather the gist of the situation, his mouth agape, his horror rising with every word he heard spoken, then hurried off to tell Lord Elrond.
"What shall you do?" Erestor asked.
"I suppose I shall simply keep myself calm," Elrond answered thoughtfully. "Did you gather what the pot was?"
Erestor shook his head. "Why does it matter, my lord?"
"Because as my sons bet, should I fail to lose my temper with either team, all the money is mine. Ah, well. I suppose I ought to go and compose myself. This should be an interesting evening." Elrond strode from the room, grinning horribly.
Glorfindel, who sat beside the fire, looked up from the book on his lap. "He will never outlast them."
Erestor disagreed. "I think you underestimate Elrond. You are supposed to be his friend!"
"I am his friend," Glorfindel answered, "but be realistic about this, Erestor. Those boys will finish him."
"I do not think so."
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "You did not babysit for them."
Erestor felt his blood rising out of deep respect for Lord Elrond. "Pot of sixty and a third to the winning team!"
"You're on!" The two shook hands solemnly.
*
"Is summat not right, m'lord?"
Elrond looked up at the voice, though he needed not. Only one resident of Imladris had such strange vernacular, in spite of contrary influences. "Yes, Hazel, you might say," he answered. "Is it so blatant?"
Hazel, the blue-eyed dreamer who worked as a stable boy (but only because no one had ever heard of a stable girl), leaned on her pitchfork and answered, "Oh, no, sir, not a'tall, only why else 'ud you be 'ere, eh? There's nowt for it a man visits his animals at unusual hours but that 'is mind's not at peace."
"You are correct, Hazel. My boys are betting again."
Hazel rolled her eyes, remembering the last time..."Sure'n they learned their lesson with that most unfortunate business those years ago?"
"Aye. They have refrained for some years, 'tis quite something. Luckily none of them are in harm's way with this wager. They seek to cause me to lose my temper."
Hazel chuckled. "Meanin' nowt but respect, sir, 't'ain't much like you t'keep anything--in especial that!--with those boys af'er it. They'll have your temper out if'n they want'it."
Elrond looked strangely at Hazel. "Would you put money on that?"
*****
To be continued
****
"I bet we could get him on it," Elrohir said suddenly.
"What?"
The others turned to him, wondering why he had that mischievous gleam in his eyes.
"I propose a challenge. It should work best with teams, I think, two against two. The first team to cause Ada to turn his face purple with anger wins. Sexual tactics must be used." Elrohir grinned.
Elladan felt that, as the oldest, he ought to oppose this. "It's the worst possible time--"
"Never, 'tis the best!" returned Legolas. "Why, with my father here, and the Lord and Lady of Lorien, what should it be but brilliant?"
Elrohir called out, "Teams with Elladan!"
Estel threw a pillow at him. "That's sick!"
"Well, it's not as bad as having to flirt with you," Elrohir shot back.
Legolas separated them; "Get back in your kennels, girls." Estel and Elrohir whacked him with pillows.
The four of them were relaxing in the twins' bedchamber before supper. A meeting was come of the three great Elven realms, giving the children of these realms a chance to get together and, though they were all grown, act like children.
Elladan, as the others fought, had drafted up a set of rules, for although he voiced an opposition to the contest his heart longer to compete. "Listen, listen everyone! Listen, these are the rules: no kissing until tomorrow. No erotic touching until the day after. No intercourse under any circumstances."
There was a round of laughter. "What about with Arwen?" Legolas called out. The other three pummeled him.
"The contest begins at supper tonight!" Elladan shouted out. "And the pot...fifty each."
"Thirty," Estel replied.
"Forty."
"Done."
They pooled their money and stashed it all together.
"First ones to cause Lord Elrond to lose his temper win. If he hasn't lost his temper by sunset on the third day, the game is up and funds go to Ada," Elladan concluded. They shook hands solemnly.
"Shall we draw straws for choosing teams?" Legolas asked. This was duly agreed to and Elrohir produced four straws. Elladan drew first, and all breath was held. Everyone knew that if the twins teamed up they had an immediate advantage. Elrohir hoped that Elladan would pull the short straw and so choose first. Estel and Legolas hoped that Elladan would draw a long straw and choose last. But then, Elladan had seemed none too keen on kissing his brother.
"Short straw!" Elladan called. "Elrohir. Will you be on my team?"
"Sick!" Legolas exclaimed. "You're twins!"
Elladan gave him a superior look. "Yes, we are. And it will drive Ada up the wall!"
*
At that very moment, Lord Erestor had been walking down the corridor and heard some rather disturbing talk. He paused long enough to gather the gist of the situation, his mouth agape, his horror rising with every word he heard spoken, then hurried off to tell Lord Elrond.
"What shall you do?" Erestor asked.
"I suppose I shall simply keep myself calm," Elrond answered thoughtfully. "Did you gather what the pot was?"
Erestor shook his head. "Why does it matter, my lord?"
"Because as my sons bet, should I fail to lose my temper with either team, all the money is mine. Ah, well. I suppose I ought to go and compose myself. This should be an interesting evening." Elrond strode from the room, grinning horribly.
Glorfindel, who sat beside the fire, looked up from the book on his lap. "He will never outlast them."
Erestor disagreed. "I think you underestimate Elrond. You are supposed to be his friend!"
"I am his friend," Glorfindel answered, "but be realistic about this, Erestor. Those boys will finish him."
"I do not think so."
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "You did not babysit for them."
Erestor felt his blood rising out of deep respect for Lord Elrond. "Pot of sixty and a third to the winning team!"
"You're on!" The two shook hands solemnly.
*
"Is summat not right, m'lord?"
Elrond looked up at the voice, though he needed not. Only one resident of Imladris had such strange vernacular, in spite of contrary influences. "Yes, Hazel, you might say," he answered. "Is it so blatant?"
Hazel, the blue-eyed dreamer who worked as a stable boy (but only because no one had ever heard of a stable girl), leaned on her pitchfork and answered, "Oh, no, sir, not a'tall, only why else 'ud you be 'ere, eh? There's nowt for it a man visits his animals at unusual hours but that 'is mind's not at peace."
"You are correct, Hazel. My boys are betting again."
Hazel rolled her eyes, remembering the last time..."Sure'n they learned their lesson with that most unfortunate business those years ago?"
"Aye. They have refrained for some years, 'tis quite something. Luckily none of them are in harm's way with this wager. They seek to cause me to lose my temper."
Hazel chuckled. "Meanin' nowt but respect, sir, 't'ain't much like you t'keep anything--in especial that!--with those boys af'er it. They'll have your temper out if'n they want'it."
Elrond looked strangely at Hazel. "Would you put money on that?"
*****
To be continued