A Monumental Event

Chapter Two: Lindir Discovers the Ways of Twins

"And Elrond was singing?" Ninriel asked Lindir, an eyebrow raised.

"Singing." Lindir echoed, frowning thoughtfully. He watched as his wife cleaned up their son, Lindhin, who was squirming desperately. "About a purple people eater."

"A what?"

"A purple people eater." Lindir repeated, taking a hold of his son. Ninriel frowned.

"Is it purple, or does it eat purple people." She asked, wiping Lindhin's face.

"I could not say." Lindir mused. "Perhaps I should ask Erestor if he has heard about this creature. It might make for an amusing tale."

His wife rolled her eyes. "You and your 'tales'."

Lindir grinned as he bounced his son on his knee. "Ah, but you love me for it."

Ninriel sighed, smiling as she took her son back and walked into their bedroom. "But back to previous conversation," Lindir said as he followed her. "What do we make of Lord Elrond? Should I inform the elders?"

"Has Glorfindel come back yet?" Ninriel asked.

Lindir shook his head. "If only he had. He is not expected to return for two sunsets, there is Orc movements to the south and it concerns him."

"So that is why he left Asfaloth."

"Yes, it was a mission of the greatest secrecy."

Ninriel paused. "Then how do you know of it?" She asked, quirking a brow. Lindir grinned.

"Ah, the same I know about everything else, my love. You have married a man of many talents." He told her, smirking and folding his arms.

"Oh, have I?"

"Indeed."

"Then tell me, O talented one, what are you going to do about this issue?"

Lindir frowned. "I suppose I should inform Erestor, yet Elrond seemed to imply that the whole council knows of Nahald and Aerie."

"Talk to him when you ask about the puce people eater."

"Purple people eater." Lindir corrected absentmindedly, sitting on their bed. "I suppose that is best, I will talk to him after the evening meal."

"We are eating there tonight?" Ninriel asked, pausing through changing their son. Lindir shook his head.

"Not until I have this sorted, I do not like the feel of this Nahald. Besides," Lindir smiled fondly at his family. "Why would I want to eat with those people when I can eat with just my family?"

Ninriel rolled her eyes, smiling broadly. "And you have been saying that every evening for the past seven years. We haven't eaten at the House since Estel and the fellowship left, I doubt any of them remember we exist any more."

"You exaggerate. I spend every evening fending people away from our door. Just last week Elrond asked if you were ready to start work in the kitchens once more. He says that the food has not been as satisfying since you left." Lindir told her, stealing his clean son back and holding him with one arm. "And I have you all to myself." He boasted, wrapping his arm about his wife's waist and planting a kiss on her head.

"I think I will soon be able to return, Lindhin is becoming less disruptive, and I can leave him with you for a few hours now." She replied, kissing his cheek. Lindir pulled her in closer.

"Not until I feel comfortable with this whole business." He said seriously, and Ninriel nodded in agreement. "Now," he smiled. "What are we having for dinner?"

Ninriel laughed and was about to answer when a knock sounded.

"Ah, that will be the first to come begging for your food." Lindir chuckled, giving Lindhin to his wife and going to the door. Opening the door, Lindir was surprised to see Elrohir there.

"Ah, Elrohir, welcome. I did not expect-" Lindir was cut off as something rushed past his head, exploding above him. Lindir gave a yell and leaped back as something wet rained down on him.

"By Eru!" Lindir grabbed his sword from its position beside the door and swung it about, waiting for an attack as he peered through the sticky goo. He paused as Elrohir fell to the ground, laughing.

"Elrohir?" Lindir asked cautiously, signaling for Ninriel to stay away. "Elrohir?" Lindir asked again, but the elf continued to chortle, tears streaming from his face. "For the love of Elbereth, tell me what is wrong!" Lindir yelled, furiously wiping goo from his eyes.

Elrohir slowly stood back up, giggling and wiping the tears from his face. "You should have seen the look on your face…" He gestured to the lintel of the door, and Lindir looked up to see the remnants of a rubber bag with an arrow through it.

"Elladan, we got him!" Elrohir called, and the other twin burst out from the trees with a bow in his hand.

"You mean you did this," Lindir gestured to the goo on his head and clothes. "Deliberately?" He asked, furiously.

Elladan nodded rapidly. "Aye, and we got you! That was the best joke ever!" He cheered, shaking Elrohir's hand proudly.

"You've done more of this?" Ninriel voice asked sharply from behind Lindir, and the twins responded with even more enthusiasm.

"Of course!"

"We're the champions!"

"This was the best-"

"After what we did to Asfaloth-"

"Oh, indeed brother Dan!"

"I agree, brother Ro."

"Shall we leave?"

"Oh yes!"

"Dan? Ro? What is going on here?" Lindir asked, bewildered as the twins ran off giggling.

Ninriel shook her head. "I have no idea, I haven't seen the twins act so silly since before…" Her voice trailed off, and Lindir nodded in agreement.

"They've been so serious since Celebrian left, and even before she went to Valinor, they never caused mischief of this… magnitude before." Lindir wrinkled his nose at the offending smell that clung to him. "This is foul."

"I agree. Come, I'll warm some water and we'll see if we can clean you up slightly." I'll just put Lindhin in his crib."

"I wonder if this will come off?" Lindir asked, staring in disgust at the muck on his clothing as he walked back into his house.

"It had better, or you'll be sleeping outside tonight!" Ninriel threatened and Lindir scowled. "Take that scowl off your face, it make you look horrid. Oh, you might want to check in on Asfaloth on your way to Erestor's tonight, I shudder to think what those two have done to him."

Lindir nodded. "I will."

Later that night...

After the evening meal, Lindir walked from his tiny cottage down the mountain and towards the Last Homely House, where everyone else lived, Lindir included until three decades ago. Elrond was going to pull the empty cottage down, but Lindir has begged and annoyed Elrond until he had let him move in. It had given Rivendell's bard some space to write and sing on his own, though he was a regular visitor to the quiet of the Hall of Fire. When Lindir had married Ninriel, she had moved in with him.

Lindir quickly made he was towards Erestor's study, promising himself mentally that he would visit Asfaloth on his way home. Only pausing twice to talk to people, (discovering that Tarnien was pregnant once again and Luthan was taking it very badly) Lindir arrived at Erestor's door, knocking loudly.

A loud crash came from within the room, and taking it as a 'come in', Lindir pushed the door open, sticking his head in. "Good evening, Erestor." He called cheerfully, only to be met with violent swearing and a loud commotion. Lindir stepped into the room cautiously, trying to find Erestor in the mess that occupied most of the councilor's chambers.

"Erestor?" Lindir called, ducking as a book flew over his head.

"If you come on behalf of those two vagabonds, tell them they will rot in Mandos if they ever set foot near my chambers again!" Erestor roared from another room, and Lindir's brow raised dramatically.

"I come about them, but not from them. What have they done?" He asked curiously, and a few moments later Erestor stormed out of his large walk-in library. Lindir blink, the councilor was furious, his eyes narrow and his steps jarring as he carried a large collection of books.

"Those two… orcs… have glued together the entire collection of tales from Gondolion! Every single page of every single book! All ruined!" Erestor hissed, and Lindir felt his blood boil.

"But, they were the only record we had of Gondolion!" Lindir exclaimed, fists clenching.

"They ruined them all." Erestor seethed, dumping the books on his desk. Lindir shook his head.

"I have written many songs of Ondolindë, the fairest city in our history. But none of them have such detail as those books contained. What shall with do without that information?" Lindir asked, resting against the walls. Erestor coughed.

"Well, we won't be entirely without them."

Lindir raised a brow. "But if they are all ruined…" He started, but Erestor snorted.

"Give me more credit than that, boy. Do you think I would let such valued books lie about without backups? No, these were copies that I had only spent centuries of hard work creating, the originals are hidden in a vault somewhere."

Lindir felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Then all it not lost. Thank Eru for your meticulousness, Erestor!"

"Thanking me will do just as well." The councilor replied airily, and Lindir nodded in agreement. "Now, what have those two done to you?" Erestor asked curiously, trying to pry apart the pages of a particularly thick volume. Briefly Lindir told him about their trick and the reaction they had afterwards, and the councilor's frown deepened.

"I cannot recall a time when they have behaved so irresponsibly. Perhaps they are ill?" Erestor mused, using a letter-opener to slice the pages apart.

"They looked healthy, I saw no ailments when I laid eyes on them." Lindir replied, grinning as Erestor placed a book and a letter-opener in his hands. "But tell me, have you heard of a purple people eater?" Lindir asked, sitting down at the desk.

"A what?" Erestor asked, his brows raised so high that Lindir thought they might disappear into his hairline.

"A purple people eater." Lindir repeated.

"Is it purple, or does it eat purple people?"

"I could not tell you, I merely heard about it through Elrond." Lindir explained how he ha heard Elrond singing, and about his meeting with Nahald. Erestor nodded thoughtfully.

"Elrond inform the council about Nahald and Aerie, and yes, I did prevent him from bringing you to the meeting. I thought you had far too much on your plate to worry about new-comers." Erestor explained, and Lindir nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, I have been busy trying to record all that was said during the 'council of Elrond', as I have dubbed it, and the Fellowship's arrival and departure."

"Yes, but I was also unable to go because Glorfindel needed some obscure maps and books to study while he was gone. And… wait. Now that's interesting." Erestor mused, a frown spreading on his face.

"What is?" Lindir asked, but Erestor ignored him, drumming his fingers on a book cover for a long time. Lindir merely sat back and waited, he had seen Erestor like this before, and trying to talk to him would do no good. For half an hour Lindir sat, waiting, until Erestor focused on Lindir's face again.

"We need to go see Bilbo." He said quietly before racing out the door. Lindir paused for a second then raced after him, his long legs quickly catching up to the small councilor.

"But why Bilbo?" Lindir asked, loping down the hall beside Erestor.

"Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir are all behaving abnormally, as we have discovered, since Aerie and Nahald have arrived in Imladris. Correct?"

"Aye."

"And I know that all three of them were at the meeting when Aerie and Nahald arrived."

"So you are saying that that… what are you saying?" Lindir asked, slowing down as they came to Bilbo's room.

"I'm not sure just yet." Erestor shrugged, going to knock on the door.

"Wait." Lindir stayed Erestor's hand and looked around the hall, spying a maiden further down. Winking at Erestor, Lindir trotted down the hall and pulled up in front of the female.

"My lady, greetings. And how are you this day?" He asked, smiling charmingly. The maiden just rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Lindir, and be quick about it." Lindorië asked her brother sharply, and Lindir chuckled.

"May we have some supper brought to Bilbo's room please? Enough for two elves and a hobbit?"

Lindorië raised a brow, but nodded. "Of course, but why?" She asked curiously, and Lindir smiled slyly.

"We need some information, and the best way to a hobbit's knowledge is through his stomach."

Lindorië chuckled, and nodded once more. She was about to leave when Lindir suddenly grabbed her arm. "Tell me, sister. Have you met Nahald or Aerie yet?" He asked seriously, and she shook her head.

"Not yet, but I am hoping to meet him soon." She winked, but her smile faded as Lindir frowned.

"As you love me, sister, have nothing to do with them." He said quietly, and Lindorië's brown raised.

"Pardon?" She asked, and Lindir shook his head.

"Do not meet them, do not see them. There is something about them that I do not like, and I fear it." For a moment Lindorië studied her brother's face, but then she nodded slowly.

"As you wish brother." She said, and Lindir released her arm and walked back to Erestor.

"What was that for?" Erestor asked as Lindir knocked on Bilbo's door.

"Supper." Lindir grinned, and Erestor gave a small laugh as a voice called out from within.


A/N: This not mine. This be J.R.R. Tolkien's. Me no own. Grunt.

Ahem. Yes. Anyway, I have have a livejournal, so check it out for updates, comics, etc. It isn't really that exciting, but it keeps me on track! ;) The link is in my profile. Oh, and please review, my poor baby is suffering from lack of love. Thanks, and expect many more updates/stories in the next few days!