Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, or any of its characters. Faramir: I hope you are satisfied! You've managed to ruin my marriage by bringing that silly Elf to Rohan, and make me seem like a wuss in one single chapter! Me: Shut up, Faramir!

Chapter 14

Risk

Elrond and Gimli walked out of Medulseld, and ambled down the main road that cut through Edoras, looking for some sign of Elrohir and Elladan's new tavern.

"I don't see it, Laddie...maybe we should stop and ask for directions. Surely someone around here knows where it is..." Gimli said after nearly two hours of searching.

"I can find it...I don't need directions," Elrond said huffily, peering up at the hanging wooden signs above the doorways on the street.

"We've been looking for hours, Elrond! We're never going to find it at this rate. Just stop and ask someone...we're going to get lost!" Gimli complained, trying to reason with Elrond.

"We will not get lost, Dwarf...I know exactly where we are," Elrond replied, craning his neck to try to see down a side road.

"For the love of Este, just ASK SOMEONE!" Gimli shouted, pulling on Elrond's sleeve. "Bah! The stubbornness of Elves! I'll ask someone meself!"

He walked over to the first person he saw - an old man sitting on a bench, whittling. "Pardon me, friend, but do ye know the new tavern run by Elladan and Elrohir, the twin sons of Elrond of Rivendell?"

"Aye, Master Dwarf...go back the way you came, turn right at the blacksmith, then left at the potter and you'll be standing right in front of it," the old man replied, pointing up the road the way they had come. 'But I must warn you, Master Dwarf, that that place has a reputation in this city of being..."

"Thank ye kindly, sir," Gimli said, cutting the man off and returning to Elrond.

"There, ye see Laddie? That wasn't so difficult, was it?" Gimli said to Elrond as they turned around and walked back toward Medulseld.

"I would have found it," Elrond insisted.

"Aye, in about fifty years..." Gimli snorted, huffing and puffing as he took two strides to Elrond's one, trying to keep up.

A short time later, they found themselves standing in front of a pub, whose placard read, "Double Trouble Tavern."

"Well, the name fits, at any rate," Elrond said under his breath as he pulled open the door to the pub. The two of them stepped inside, pausing at the door to give their eyes a chance to adjust to the dim lighting. The pub was jammed, with nearly every available seat filled.

Elrond raised an eyebrow, thinking that the twins must have chosen the right business. The place seemed a success.

"Elrond! Gimli! Over here..." shouted a familiar voice from a corner table.

Making their way to the corner, Elrond and Gimli were surprised to find Legolas sitting at the table, a pint of ale in front of him.

"Laddie! How did ye get away from Eowyn so quickly? I would have thought she'd have had you tied to the bed for a fortnight, at least!" Gimli cried, a smile lighting his face.

"She left me alone for a moment while she went to 'freshen up,' so I took the opportunity to crawl out the window and scale down the side of the castle. I fell the last 20 feet or so, but it was still worth it," he explained, showing Elrond and Gimli the rips in the knees and elbows of his jerkin and leggings. "What took you so long to get here?" he asked.

Gimli looked sourly up at Elrond. "Ye know how a certain someone is about asking for directions. We'd have been walking all night if it were up to him!"

Ignoring the Dwarf's comments, Elrond asked, looking around the room, "Legolas, have you seen my sons yet?"

"Aye...you need to prepare yourself, Elrond. They've, um...changed a bit."

"What do you mean, changed? Changed into what?"

"You'll see. Have a seat, and I'll get you a couple of pints. I'll let the twins know that you're here. The, um, entertainment should be starting again soon," Legolas added with a small smile, motioning to the other seats at the table. He walked up to the crowded bar and waited to get the barkeep's attention.

Elrond and Gimli made themselves comfortable at the table. They noticed a young bearded man carrying a mandolin take a seat next to a raised platform at the back of the room. He began to strum the instrument, picking out a melody.

A young woman walked out onto the platform. Immediately, every eye in the room was turned to the platform, and whistles and yells filled the pub.

Elrond looked confused for a moment, as the girl slowly peeled off her apron, and tossed it into the crowd. "What the devil is that daft serving girl doing?" he asked Gimli. How is she going to serve without an apron?"

His eyes nearly popped out of his head when she turned around and started unhooking her dress.

"Great Eru! What devilry have those two idiots created here?" he cried, nearly rising from his seat.

"Hello, Ada," came two voices in unison from Elrond's right.

Gimli tore his eyes away from the serving girl on the stage at the sound of the twins' voices, just in time to see Elrond faint dead away.

"By the Valar! What have ye two done to yerselves?" Gimli cried, eyes bugging wide.

Elrohir and Elladan were dressed in identical brown jerkins and leggings, with high leather boots. But it wasn't their clothes that caught Gimli's breath in his throat and caused Elrond to hit the floor. It was their hair. Their beautiful, long, silky Elven hair was completely gone. They were both as bald as eggs. Worse, they had had the name of their pub tattooed on their skulls.

"Don't look at us like we've two heads each, Gimli...it's good for business," Elrohir said, fingering his polished pate. "Don't you like it? The women here keep wanting to run their hands over our heads!"

"Ada? What an odd place to take a nap!" Elladan commented, looking down curiously at his father.

"He's not napping, Elladan, and I wouldn't want to be you two when he arises!" Legolas laughed, returning with the ale.

Gimli chuckled in agreement, and the two of them sat down and turned their attention back to the stage.