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all.
Elladan stormed away towards the rooms where Legolas and Taliyne were staying. He didn't even knock before he entered, but pushed the door open with such force that it slammed off the wall with a loud bang.
He stood in the doorway and looked around the room; Legolas was sitting at the table, looking startled, a few moments later, Taliyne walked in through a side door and looked at his brother and Elladan. "Did one of you make that noise just then...?" he asked, looking confused.
Elladan closed the door quietly behind him and said, "It was me, sorry, I didn't mean too...I'm just having a bad day..." he trailed off, "do you mind if I come in?"
"No of course not," said Legolas, smiling, "take a seat." Elladan slumped himself at the end of Legolas' bed as Taliyne sat down at the other end. Legolas twisted his chair around to face them.
"So was there any particular reason for such a dramatic entrance, or did you just feel like scaring us senseless?" asked Legolas, a little sarcastically. "Sorry," repeated Elladan, feeling a little ashamed, "like I said, bad day."
"Does this have anything to do with the argument you had with your father, by any chance?" asked Taliyne.
"Yes, and that's actually why I came to see you two," he replied, "When are you going back to Mirkwood?"
"As soon as your father assembles the army, he said it was likely to be ready by tomorrow evening, why?" answered Legolas.
"Because I'm coming with you," said Elladan.
At this proclamation Legolas looked delighted and said, "Really?!" excitedly. His brother, however, furrowed his brow.
"Your father is going to let you join an army and ride to a war ridden country, hundreds of leagues away?" he asked, sounding disbelieving, "I know you're not exactly in his good books at the moment," his eyes flashed to the faint bruise at the side of Elladan's face, "but what's made him want you dead?" he finished, somewhat sarcastically.
"I never said I had his permission," Elladan replied, a little annoyed by Taliyne's derisive tone.
Taliyne raised his eyebrows, and Legolas' face fell. "He'll never let you, you know that 'Dan," said Legolas, quietly, sounding disappointed.
"Yes I do know, but I don't care, I'm going anyway," replied Elladan, firmly.
"Okay, so say you get away without Lord Elrond finding out, do you honestly thing my father will believe that he sent you to fight on our borders? I mean, we are not even allowed to fight yet, and we are older than you," said Taliyne.
"Not that much older..." muttered Elladan, "and I don't care about fighting, I just want to get out of here for a while!" There was desperation in his voice, and he continued, "Please, I'm begging you, let me come and stay with you, just for a while!"
Legolas and Taliyne looked at each other, then Legolas replied, "You know we'd love to have you come with us, but there's no way we wouldn't get found out."
"Just tell your father you invited me, but I have some things to sort out here first, so I'll meet you in four days at the Old Ford, and tell him that I asked my father and he said it was fine," answered Elladan, he had clearly thought this through beforehand.
"You must think they are both stupid," said Taliyne, shaking his head, "they'll kill us when they find out."
"When they find out, I'll make sure King Thranduil knows it was entirely my fault."
"It won't be entirely your fault, it'll be our own stupid fault for agreeing to help you," replied Legolas, "But if we don't, you'll do it anyway, and probably end up getting yourself killed."
"And that would be worse punishment than anything our father could throw at us," continued Taliyne.
"So count us in," said Legolas.
Taliyne nodded, but said, "But you'll have to come back sometime, and then..." he trailed off.
"I know what he'll do to me, but it'll be worth it just to get away for a while and prove I'm not a child anymore," Elladan replied to what Taliyne hadn't said.
Legolas and Taliyne looked sceptical, and Legolas said, "You do realise that we go through exactly the same thing as you do? It's the price we pay for being the sons of the king I think. He controls our lives, but we just have to grin and bear it, that's life," he sighed.
"But I don't want that to be my life," Elladan said, fervently, "Aren't you ever tempted to just get out on your own for a while?"
Legolas shot Taliyne a look and they were both silent for a moment. Then Taliyne spoke.
"Of course, and I did...and it isn't as much fun as you would think," he sighed.
"Really? When? What happened?" asked Elladan, shocked; he had always seen Taliyne as sensible.
"About 20 years ago, when I was about your age," he began, "I, like you, was getting sick of my father being so controlling, I thought I was old enough to make my own decisions," he sounded bitterly ashamed, as though he didn't want to think about it.
"So where did you go?"
"I was planning on riding to Arnor, I know some of the rangers there, I wasn't going to stay forever, not like I had the chance...I never made it out of the wood. Father sent some soldiers after me and they brought me back."
"And what did he do?" asked Elladan.
Taliyne sighed and visibly shuddered at the memory.
"He made sure I never did anything so stupid and selfish again," he answered shortly, "he made me understand that I have duties and responsibilities to uphold."
"So if you think it's selfish and stupid, why are you helping me?"
"Well, it's like Legolas said, if we don't, you'll just go off on your own and get your self hurt...if you're going to do this anyway, you might as well learn the relatively easy way. By no means painless, but, hopefully, less so than if you were attacked by orcs."
Elladan smiled sardonically at these reassuring words of encouragement.
"Elrohir," Elladan called as he knocked on his brother's door, "can I come in?"
The door opened in front of him and he grinned at his brother, who narrowed his eyes, folded his arms, and stood back to allow Elladan into the room.
"Thanks," he said.
"I know you're upset with me," Elladan began.
"Well, aren't you the observant one?" Elrohir replied, sarcastically.
"Look, please try to understand," he began, trying to calm, "I know you think I'm just being childish, but this is difficult for me-"
Elrohir cut him off and responded angrily.
"This is difficult for you! How do you think it is for me! I have to put up with everything, the same as you do! But I don't run away, or start arguments-"
"When have I ever started an argument? It's always him! He's always been harder on me-" he yelled, slamming the door.
"He's only harder on you because you go shouting your mouth off at any given moment! He's got every right to be angry; you just can't keep your damn mouth shut! I sometimes wonder if you don't try to wind him-"
"Why in the name of the Valar would I do that? You think I like getting lectured and chastised all the time? I don't think so!"
"Then why do always answer back, why can't you keep your mouth shut and then maybe he wouldn't have to be so hard on you!"
"You expect me to take it lying down? Just because you're willing to spend the rest of your life being ordered around and criticised for the slightest mistake, doesn't mean I am!"
"So that's why you're leaving, is it? You're sulking because he told us off for something we shouldn't have done in the first place! Can't you just accept when you're wrong Elladan?"
"I'll accept I'm wrong when he does," Elladan said, flatly.
"You're so childish!" Elrohir yelled, infuriated.
"I am not the one being childish! He's the one who's the tyrannical control freak!"
Silence followed this statement. Elrohir slowly sat down on his bed and slowly shook his head. After several moments, he looked up at his brother, who was still standing in the centre of the deathly silent room.
When he next spoke it was in a quiet, shaking voice, "I don't know how you dare, you know. This is our father you're talking about. Do you have any respect for him, whatsoever?"
"Oh yeah, I have loads of respect for a man who has none at all for me, and treats me like I'm some naughty little five year old," Elladan replied, sarcastically.
Elrohir shook his head again and said, "That isn't even funny, you know."
Elrohir looked almost upset and Elladan sighed.
"Look I'm not saying I don't respect him, of course I do. He's one of the oldest, wisest beings on this earth, which means that he knows more than I ever will. But there are some things that he doesn't know, and that's what he just doesn't get. He thinks that he knows what's best for everybody, but he doesn't," Elladan paused, and Elrohir opened his mouth to interrupt, but his brother continued, "It doesn't matter how wise he is, he'll never know what's best for me, because I am not him, and neither are you, so you shouldn't try to be," he finished.
"I do not try to be him," Elrohir said, sounding slightly hurt.
"Yes you do. You always pretend that you understand his point of view, you always agree with him, like anything he says is gospel," Elladan replied.
"I only agree with him because he's right. He would never lie to us, and if he tells us off, it's because he has cause to, so of course I agree with him."
"If you think like that, then why do you disobey him?"
"I – I don't know, I don't always mean to, and sometimes I just want to do something of my own accord," Elrohir admitted, "but I always accept the consequences of my actions, that's the part you don't seem to understand. I'm not trying to make out that I'm perfect and I always do as I'm told, because I don't, but I always accept punishment if I do something wrong, whereas you just argue against it, like you don't deserve it."
"You can say what you like, it all amounts to the same thing; I'm leaving with Legolas and Taliyne," Elladan said, finality in his voice.
Elrohir sighed, "You'll just make things worse for everyone, namely yourself, but you've got it into your head that you're going to do this, so who am I to stop you? So bye Dan, and when you come back, I hope he teaches not to be so damn stupid ever again."
The next day, around four o'clock in the afternoon, five hundred soldiers stood in the courtyard at Rivendell.
Lord Elrond stood waiting to see them off, and King Thranduil, his sons, and the rest of the Lords of Mirkwood were mounting their horses.
Elladan and Elrohir were saying their farewells to Legolas and Taliyne. There was something stiff about the way Elrohir was speaking to all of them that told both Legolas and Taliyne that he was well aware of what they were planning, and that he didn't approve.
"See you soon," Legolas muttered to Elladan as they left, "don't be late, or we might not be able to wait for you."
And they rode away, following the soldiers, with a last bow to Lord Elrond and a smile to the twins.
As they stood watching the elves ride away, Elrond strode over to his sons.
"I see you've abandoned this foolishness about going to Mirkwood then, Elladan?" he said, looking down at them.
"Yes father, you were right, I'm just not mature enough to conduct myself correctly in another kingdom," he smiled sweetly, bowed slightly, and walked away, leaving Elrond confused and not a little suspicious, and Elrohir seething.
The next day, at breakfast, the three were sitting eating in silence. It seemed quiet without all the guests present.
When they had been sitting in awkward silence for at least ten minutes, then Elladan said, "Father, is it ok if I go out for a ride today, after breakfast?"
"I was hoping you and Elrohir would spend today in your lessons, seeing as you've missed the last few days because of Legolas and Taliyne," Elrond replied, silkily.
"Can't I just go out for a few hours?" Elladan said, looking dismayed.
"I believe I said no," Elrond replied, stiffly.
"What's the harm? Honestly, what harm would it do if I went for a ride for a few hours!"
"The harm is, that it would involve you disobeying me," Elrond said, quite calmly, but as Elladan knew, this didn't mean he wasn't angry.
"Not if you said I could go," Elladan replied, moodily.
At this point, Elrohir grabbed his twin's arm said, "Are you trying to wind him up?" in a furious whisper.
"No I was trying to do this with his permission...sort of..." Elladan answered, slightly sarcastically.
When the boys looked up, their father had his head in his hands and was breathing deeply.
Elladan scraped back his chair and both Elrond and Elrohir looked up at the noise.
"Where are you going?" Lord Elrond asked, accusation in his voice.
"To the stables," Elladan answered, smiling, defiantly.
Elrond stood up so swiftly that his chair fell back behind him.
"Elladan, come here, now," he said,
Elladan continued to walk, and his father, sighing angrily, followed.
Elrohir closed his eyes and rested his head on the table, "What the hell does he think he's doing?" he thought, wearily.
Outside in the corridor, Elrond was following his son, shouting after him. Elladan, however, was defiantly ignoring him.
After a few moments, Elrond caught up with him and laid a hand on his shoulder, holding him still. Elladan did not turn around, but stood on the silently on the spot, staring resolutely in the opposite direction. Lord Elrond put pressure on his shoulder and forced his son to face him.
"I think we need to have a talk, you and I," he said, still scarily sweetly.
Elladan allowed himself to be steered towards Elrond's study; he didn't really have much choice, with the vice-like grip his father had on his shoulder.
They reached the office and Lord Elrond slammed the door behind him, relinquished the grip he had on Elladan's shoulder, and stood facing him, his arms folded.
"So," Elrond began, the suppressed fury in his voice now clear.
"So what?" Elladan replied, insolently.
This was too much for Elrond, and Elladan found himself with a smarting cheek a moment later. He gasped at the sharp pain and looked daggers at his father, who stared back, looking livid.
"I don't understand Elladan, you've never been perfect, but you've never been this downright rude before," he snapped, "I am, quite frankly, sick of it, it will not be tolerated anymore, you can get that straight right now."
"And what, exactly, are you going to do if I don't?" challenged Elladan.
Elrond hit him again, this time hard enough to knock him to the floor.
"You're pushing your luck Elladan," he said, looking down at him, "You're much too close to the line for my liking. One more incident like this, and I will not be so kind as this, is that understood?"
Elladan said nothing, but started furiously at his father from his uncomfortable, slightly humiliating, position on the floor.
He stood up slowly, but still said nothing.
Elrond sighed, "Go to your room, and you are, by no means, to leave it, understood? I don't care if the whole place is on fire, you do not leave until you have sought my permission, is that perfectly clear?"
"Crystal," Elladan replied, with a sarcastic smile.
Elladan walked to his room, firstly, in case his father was watching him and, secondly, to pick up the pack he had prepared the previous night. He then made straight to the stables and saddled his horse. After several minutes he heard a voice from by the door.
"I don't believe you're really going to do this, Dan."
It was Elrohir. Elladan had no patience for him at this very moment and so simply said, "Believe it, it's real," without even turning to face his brother.
"I could go and tell him, you know, he'd catch you before you'd even left," Elrohir continued, serenely.
Elladan whipped around and stared at his twin, shocked.
"You wouldn't!"
"How do you know? It'd save a lot of trouble for me..."
"I know you wouldn't," said Elladan, more confidently than he felt.
"Try me," Elrohir whispered, savagely.
Elladan shook his head and turned back to his horse. As he had suspected, Elrohir did not move, "He would never tell on me," he thought.
"If he asks you, tell him I said I was going hunting, ok?" Elladan said, after a long silence
"I won't lie for you!" Elrohir replied, furiously.
"It's hardly lying...I'll probably have to kill something along the way," he joked
Elrohir, however, was not amused.
"You think this proves you're grown up? It doesn't, it just proves you're still a child, running away to prove a point. Nothing could prove your immaturity more," Elrohir looked almost disgusted.
"Good-bye, brother, have fun being father's perfect son," Elladan said, mounting his horse and ignoring his twin's last remark.
And with that, he rode out of the stables and towards the ford.
Elladan stormed away towards the rooms where Legolas and Taliyne were staying. He didn't even knock before he entered, but pushed the door open with such force that it slammed off the wall with a loud bang.
He stood in the doorway and looked around the room; Legolas was sitting at the table, looking startled, a few moments later, Taliyne walked in through a side door and looked at his brother and Elladan. "Did one of you make that noise just then...?" he asked, looking confused.
Elladan closed the door quietly behind him and said, "It was me, sorry, I didn't mean too...I'm just having a bad day..." he trailed off, "do you mind if I come in?"
"No of course not," said Legolas, smiling, "take a seat." Elladan slumped himself at the end of Legolas' bed as Taliyne sat down at the other end. Legolas twisted his chair around to face them.
"So was there any particular reason for such a dramatic entrance, or did you just feel like scaring us senseless?" asked Legolas, a little sarcastically. "Sorry," repeated Elladan, feeling a little ashamed, "like I said, bad day."
"Does this have anything to do with the argument you had with your father, by any chance?" asked Taliyne.
"Yes, and that's actually why I came to see you two," he replied, "When are you going back to Mirkwood?"
"As soon as your father assembles the army, he said it was likely to be ready by tomorrow evening, why?" answered Legolas.
"Because I'm coming with you," said Elladan.
At this proclamation Legolas looked delighted and said, "Really?!" excitedly. His brother, however, furrowed his brow.
"Your father is going to let you join an army and ride to a war ridden country, hundreds of leagues away?" he asked, sounding disbelieving, "I know you're not exactly in his good books at the moment," his eyes flashed to the faint bruise at the side of Elladan's face, "but what's made him want you dead?" he finished, somewhat sarcastically.
"I never said I had his permission," Elladan replied, a little annoyed by Taliyne's derisive tone.
Taliyne raised his eyebrows, and Legolas' face fell. "He'll never let you, you know that 'Dan," said Legolas, quietly, sounding disappointed.
"Yes I do know, but I don't care, I'm going anyway," replied Elladan, firmly.
"Okay, so say you get away without Lord Elrond finding out, do you honestly thing my father will believe that he sent you to fight on our borders? I mean, we are not even allowed to fight yet, and we are older than you," said Taliyne.
"Not that much older..." muttered Elladan, "and I don't care about fighting, I just want to get out of here for a while!" There was desperation in his voice, and he continued, "Please, I'm begging you, let me come and stay with you, just for a while!"
Legolas and Taliyne looked at each other, then Legolas replied, "You know we'd love to have you come with us, but there's no way we wouldn't get found out."
"Just tell your father you invited me, but I have some things to sort out here first, so I'll meet you in four days at the Old Ford, and tell him that I asked my father and he said it was fine," answered Elladan, he had clearly thought this through beforehand.
"You must think they are both stupid," said Taliyne, shaking his head, "they'll kill us when they find out."
"When they find out, I'll make sure King Thranduil knows it was entirely my fault."
"It won't be entirely your fault, it'll be our own stupid fault for agreeing to help you," replied Legolas, "But if we don't, you'll do it anyway, and probably end up getting yourself killed."
"And that would be worse punishment than anything our father could throw at us," continued Taliyne.
"So count us in," said Legolas.
Taliyne nodded, but said, "But you'll have to come back sometime, and then..." he trailed off.
"I know what he'll do to me, but it'll be worth it just to get away for a while and prove I'm not a child anymore," Elladan replied to what Taliyne hadn't said.
Legolas and Taliyne looked sceptical, and Legolas said, "You do realise that we go through exactly the same thing as you do? It's the price we pay for being the sons of the king I think. He controls our lives, but we just have to grin and bear it, that's life," he sighed.
"But I don't want that to be my life," Elladan said, fervently, "Aren't you ever tempted to just get out on your own for a while?"
Legolas shot Taliyne a look and they were both silent for a moment. Then Taliyne spoke.
"Of course, and I did...and it isn't as much fun as you would think," he sighed.
"Really? When? What happened?" asked Elladan, shocked; he had always seen Taliyne as sensible.
"About 20 years ago, when I was about your age," he began, "I, like you, was getting sick of my father being so controlling, I thought I was old enough to make my own decisions," he sounded bitterly ashamed, as though he didn't want to think about it.
"So where did you go?"
"I was planning on riding to Arnor, I know some of the rangers there, I wasn't going to stay forever, not like I had the chance...I never made it out of the wood. Father sent some soldiers after me and they brought me back."
"And what did he do?" asked Elladan.
Taliyne sighed and visibly shuddered at the memory.
"He made sure I never did anything so stupid and selfish again," he answered shortly, "he made me understand that I have duties and responsibilities to uphold."
"So if you think it's selfish and stupid, why are you helping me?"
"Well, it's like Legolas said, if we don't, you'll just go off on your own and get your self hurt...if you're going to do this anyway, you might as well learn the relatively easy way. By no means painless, but, hopefully, less so than if you were attacked by orcs."
Elladan smiled sardonically at these reassuring words of encouragement.
"Elrohir," Elladan called as he knocked on his brother's door, "can I come in?"
The door opened in front of him and he grinned at his brother, who narrowed his eyes, folded his arms, and stood back to allow Elladan into the room.
"Thanks," he said.
"I know you're upset with me," Elladan began.
"Well, aren't you the observant one?" Elrohir replied, sarcastically.
"Look, please try to understand," he began, trying to calm, "I know you think I'm just being childish, but this is difficult for me-"
Elrohir cut him off and responded angrily.
"This is difficult for you! How do you think it is for me! I have to put up with everything, the same as you do! But I don't run away, or start arguments-"
"When have I ever started an argument? It's always him! He's always been harder on me-" he yelled, slamming the door.
"He's only harder on you because you go shouting your mouth off at any given moment! He's got every right to be angry; you just can't keep your damn mouth shut! I sometimes wonder if you don't try to wind him-"
"Why in the name of the Valar would I do that? You think I like getting lectured and chastised all the time? I don't think so!"
"Then why do always answer back, why can't you keep your mouth shut and then maybe he wouldn't have to be so hard on you!"
"You expect me to take it lying down? Just because you're willing to spend the rest of your life being ordered around and criticised for the slightest mistake, doesn't mean I am!"
"So that's why you're leaving, is it? You're sulking because he told us off for something we shouldn't have done in the first place! Can't you just accept when you're wrong Elladan?"
"I'll accept I'm wrong when he does," Elladan said, flatly.
"You're so childish!" Elrohir yelled, infuriated.
"I am not the one being childish! He's the one who's the tyrannical control freak!"
Silence followed this statement. Elrohir slowly sat down on his bed and slowly shook his head. After several moments, he looked up at his brother, who was still standing in the centre of the deathly silent room.
When he next spoke it was in a quiet, shaking voice, "I don't know how you dare, you know. This is our father you're talking about. Do you have any respect for him, whatsoever?"
"Oh yeah, I have loads of respect for a man who has none at all for me, and treats me like I'm some naughty little five year old," Elladan replied, sarcastically.
Elrohir shook his head again and said, "That isn't even funny, you know."
Elrohir looked almost upset and Elladan sighed.
"Look I'm not saying I don't respect him, of course I do. He's one of the oldest, wisest beings on this earth, which means that he knows more than I ever will. But there are some things that he doesn't know, and that's what he just doesn't get. He thinks that he knows what's best for everybody, but he doesn't," Elladan paused, and Elrohir opened his mouth to interrupt, but his brother continued, "It doesn't matter how wise he is, he'll never know what's best for me, because I am not him, and neither are you, so you shouldn't try to be," he finished.
"I do not try to be him," Elrohir said, sounding slightly hurt.
"Yes you do. You always pretend that you understand his point of view, you always agree with him, like anything he says is gospel," Elladan replied.
"I only agree with him because he's right. He would never lie to us, and if he tells us off, it's because he has cause to, so of course I agree with him."
"If you think like that, then why do you disobey him?"
"I – I don't know, I don't always mean to, and sometimes I just want to do something of my own accord," Elrohir admitted, "but I always accept the consequences of my actions, that's the part you don't seem to understand. I'm not trying to make out that I'm perfect and I always do as I'm told, because I don't, but I always accept punishment if I do something wrong, whereas you just argue against it, like you don't deserve it."
"You can say what you like, it all amounts to the same thing; I'm leaving with Legolas and Taliyne," Elladan said, finality in his voice.
Elrohir sighed, "You'll just make things worse for everyone, namely yourself, but you've got it into your head that you're going to do this, so who am I to stop you? So bye Dan, and when you come back, I hope he teaches not to be so damn stupid ever again."
The next day, around four o'clock in the afternoon, five hundred soldiers stood in the courtyard at Rivendell.
Lord Elrond stood waiting to see them off, and King Thranduil, his sons, and the rest of the Lords of Mirkwood were mounting their horses.
Elladan and Elrohir were saying their farewells to Legolas and Taliyne. There was something stiff about the way Elrohir was speaking to all of them that told both Legolas and Taliyne that he was well aware of what they were planning, and that he didn't approve.
"See you soon," Legolas muttered to Elladan as they left, "don't be late, or we might not be able to wait for you."
And they rode away, following the soldiers, with a last bow to Lord Elrond and a smile to the twins.
As they stood watching the elves ride away, Elrond strode over to his sons.
"I see you've abandoned this foolishness about going to Mirkwood then, Elladan?" he said, looking down at them.
"Yes father, you were right, I'm just not mature enough to conduct myself correctly in another kingdom," he smiled sweetly, bowed slightly, and walked away, leaving Elrond confused and not a little suspicious, and Elrohir seething.
The next day, at breakfast, the three were sitting eating in silence. It seemed quiet without all the guests present.
When they had been sitting in awkward silence for at least ten minutes, then Elladan said, "Father, is it ok if I go out for a ride today, after breakfast?"
"I was hoping you and Elrohir would spend today in your lessons, seeing as you've missed the last few days because of Legolas and Taliyne," Elrond replied, silkily.
"Can't I just go out for a few hours?" Elladan said, looking dismayed.
"I believe I said no," Elrond replied, stiffly.
"What's the harm? Honestly, what harm would it do if I went for a ride for a few hours!"
"The harm is, that it would involve you disobeying me," Elrond said, quite calmly, but as Elladan knew, this didn't mean he wasn't angry.
"Not if you said I could go," Elladan replied, moodily.
At this point, Elrohir grabbed his twin's arm said, "Are you trying to wind him up?" in a furious whisper.
"No I was trying to do this with his permission...sort of..." Elladan answered, slightly sarcastically.
When the boys looked up, their father had his head in his hands and was breathing deeply.
Elladan scraped back his chair and both Elrond and Elrohir looked up at the noise.
"Where are you going?" Lord Elrond asked, accusation in his voice.
"To the stables," Elladan answered, smiling, defiantly.
Elrond stood up so swiftly that his chair fell back behind him.
"Elladan, come here, now," he said,
Elladan continued to walk, and his father, sighing angrily, followed.
Elrohir closed his eyes and rested his head on the table, "What the hell does he think he's doing?" he thought, wearily.
Outside in the corridor, Elrond was following his son, shouting after him. Elladan, however, was defiantly ignoring him.
After a few moments, Elrond caught up with him and laid a hand on his shoulder, holding him still. Elladan did not turn around, but stood on the silently on the spot, staring resolutely in the opposite direction. Lord Elrond put pressure on his shoulder and forced his son to face him.
"I think we need to have a talk, you and I," he said, still scarily sweetly.
Elladan allowed himself to be steered towards Elrond's study; he didn't really have much choice, with the vice-like grip his father had on his shoulder.
They reached the office and Lord Elrond slammed the door behind him, relinquished the grip he had on Elladan's shoulder, and stood facing him, his arms folded.
"So," Elrond began, the suppressed fury in his voice now clear.
"So what?" Elladan replied, insolently.
This was too much for Elrond, and Elladan found himself with a smarting cheek a moment later. He gasped at the sharp pain and looked daggers at his father, who stared back, looking livid.
"I don't understand Elladan, you've never been perfect, but you've never been this downright rude before," he snapped, "I am, quite frankly, sick of it, it will not be tolerated anymore, you can get that straight right now."
"And what, exactly, are you going to do if I don't?" challenged Elladan.
Elrond hit him again, this time hard enough to knock him to the floor.
"You're pushing your luck Elladan," he said, looking down at him, "You're much too close to the line for my liking. One more incident like this, and I will not be so kind as this, is that understood?"
Elladan said nothing, but started furiously at his father from his uncomfortable, slightly humiliating, position on the floor.
He stood up slowly, but still said nothing.
Elrond sighed, "Go to your room, and you are, by no means, to leave it, understood? I don't care if the whole place is on fire, you do not leave until you have sought my permission, is that perfectly clear?"
"Crystal," Elladan replied, with a sarcastic smile.
Elladan walked to his room, firstly, in case his father was watching him and, secondly, to pick up the pack he had prepared the previous night. He then made straight to the stables and saddled his horse. After several minutes he heard a voice from by the door.
"I don't believe you're really going to do this, Dan."
It was Elrohir. Elladan had no patience for him at this very moment and so simply said, "Believe it, it's real," without even turning to face his brother.
"I could go and tell him, you know, he'd catch you before you'd even left," Elrohir continued, serenely.
Elladan whipped around and stared at his twin, shocked.
"You wouldn't!"
"How do you know? It'd save a lot of trouble for me..."
"I know you wouldn't," said Elladan, more confidently than he felt.
"Try me," Elrohir whispered, savagely.
Elladan shook his head and turned back to his horse. As he had suspected, Elrohir did not move, "He would never tell on me," he thought.
"If he asks you, tell him I said I was going hunting, ok?" Elladan said, after a long silence
"I won't lie for you!" Elrohir replied, furiously.
"It's hardly lying...I'll probably have to kill something along the way," he joked
Elrohir, however, was not amused.
"You think this proves you're grown up? It doesn't, it just proves you're still a child, running away to prove a point. Nothing could prove your immaturity more," Elrohir looked almost disgusted.
"Good-bye, brother, have fun being father's perfect son," Elladan said, mounting his horse and ignoring his twin's last remark.
And with that, he rode out of the stables and towards the ford.