Chapter Three

Fear and Uncertainty

He glanced around the chamber quickly, looking for anything that might be useful to him. Narrowing his eyes in the darkened room, he saw nothing that would aid him. Feeling defeated, he caught a glint of something through a door to his right. Tiptoeing, he made his way to the other room and pushed it open curiously. The glinting item that had caught his eyes was a small vile placed high on a shelf well out of a childs reach.

He wrapped his fingers around the glass bottle and pulled the stopper out of it, carefully sniffing the contents. Knowing the strange potions the elves used, he wasn't going to take any chances of injuring himself. He almost snorted as that thought raced through his brain. 'Lying on the floor of the lords childrens room would surely raise suspicion.'

Looking at the vile, he noticed the liquid to be a dark green colour. Frowning, he sniffed again. Shaking his head he shrugged. Almost placing the bottle back on the shelf, another thought entered his mind forcibly. Grinning, he carried the bottle back into the room and caught sight of a pitcher of water beside the boys bed. Almost smiling excitedly, he lifted the vile and poured a few drops of the liquid into the jug, but almost gasped aloud when the water turned a greenish colour.

'That would do no good.' He cursed himself silently. He quickly retraced his steps back into the small room, and noticed a few other jars sitting on the same shelf and pulled them down quickly, hoping to mask the waters change in hue. Almost running back to the bed, he pulled the stopper from another bottle, this time the colour being a deep orange.

As he poured potion after potion into the jug, he noticed he was making it worse. Biting back a cry of worry, he entered the room once again, placing the items back onto the shelf. Lost deep in thought, he almost missed another bottle on the opposite shelf, and he grinned at the deep blue of it. Shaking his head, he wandered back into the bedchamber, vile in his hand. He had no idea what to do if this didn't make the colour a normal one. Thinking rapidly, he knew that if this didn't work, he would have to dump the jug and refill it to start his plots for revenge over again.

All he wanted to do was put a scare into the boys, and he figured this would do it. Grinning again, he poured a few drops of the stuff into the jug and watched excitedly as the murky colour turned a clear blue once again. Almost shouting with joy, he quickly replaced the bottle in the side room and exited the twins chambers before he was caught. Retreating to his own room, he entered to his sleeping family.

'Let us see what happens tomorrow.' Grinning, he stretched himself onto the bed and closed his eyes.


Celebrían stretched lazily on her bed, her husband and she had retired late that evening, enjoying the peaceful air of the night. Frowning, she noticed the sun. Sitting up she glanced around her. Her children should have been up by now. Every morning, they entered hers and her husband chambers with loud happy voices. Lowering her feet to the floor, she exited her chambers quickly wrapping her robe around her as she hastened to her sons room.

Worriedly, she made her way down the hall and turned the corner and entered her childrens room quickly. She grinned however at the sight that met her eyes. They were seated on the floor cross-legged, piles of wooden toys scattered around them. Shaking her head, she felt her breath slow down.

They grinned at her and pushed themselves to their feet quickly. "Nana!" They shouted. Kneeling down she drew them in for a hug. Through the balcony door came her husbands friend. Glorfindel. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I saw you and Elrond last night and felt you both needed some rest." He waved around him. "They have shown me every toy they possess. My apologies for the mess."

Nodding she smiled, and stood up. "You have my thanks, Glorfindel. Have they eaten?" She asked as she watched her sons reseat themselves amongst their wooden treasures.

Glorfindel nodded. "Aye, they did. They were thirsty this morning, so I had gone downstairs to retrieve some juice." He motioned to the scattered glasses by the bed. Seating herself in a wooden chair, she watched her sons as they played.

"Well." She sighed. "I believe I am going to go dress, then guide them outside on this sunny day. Would you mind dressing them, Glorfindel? I will be but a moment."

The golden haired elf nodded smiling. "Go. Enjoy the morning, I will take them out for adventuring until Elrond calls for me."

Celebrían smiled her thanks and exited the room.

Glorfindel turned around and saw four beady eyes looking at him excitedly. Chuckling, he pointed to the chest, which held their clothing. "Quickly, before all the good adventures get picked up by other children."

They gaped, then scrambled to their feet in a hurried manner. Pulling open the large dark green chest, both boys pulled out mismatched clothes attempting to dress themselves. Glorfindel watched in amusement as the elder boy put his shirt on backwards, and his pants on inside out. The younger twin was not having any better luck as one of his legs stuck inside the trousers, but the other pant leg seemed lost somewhere. He knelt down and looked under his bed, then kicked his leg trying to find where the other pant leg had gone.

Smiling broadly, he motioned Elrohir to his side; it was then that he noticed the small yellowish bruise on his forehead. Frowning, he lifted the childs head and tilted it to the side so the sunlight touched it. "What happened?" He asked looking at the healing wound.

"Hurt it." Came the impatient reply.

Chuckling, he helped Elrohir find his pant leg, which had gotten stuck inside the other, and aided them into dressing for the day. Elladan now stepped up to the golden haired elf having been the second for aid in dressing.

The younger elf child walked to the night table and tapped on the glass jug that sat there filled with tempting water.

"Gworfy?" Elrohir turned pointing at the water jug.

Nodding, Glorfindel stood, now use to his nickname the twins used for him. Pouring a glass he handed it down to the small child looking towards Elladan who shook his head with a wrinkled nose. Placing the jug back down, he waited until Elrohir finished his small glass off, and then pushed them gently out of the room.

Glorfindel sat on a small wooden bench watching the children closely as they played. They were dodging out from behind a tree at the moment, tapping each others arm, then darting back behind the tree, circling around it trying for another opportunity for an ambush. He grinned, and tilted his head back soaking in the sun when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Squinting his eyes, there stood Celebrían with a large smile on her face. "You have been summoned."

Nodding, he stood and lifted his arms above his head. "They are a joy, milady." He stated with a smile. "Do they ever stop?"

Shaking her head, she laughed. "Only when they sleep."

With a nod, Glorfindel hastened out of the gardens leaving Celebrían there watching her sons play before lunch. Elladan raced up to her and hugged her quickly, causing her to laugh as he raced back to where his brother hid behind the tree.

They had now found a new game, one, which led to a quick hug, and then tagging the others arm for their turn at a hug. Tirelessly they played until she called a halt and guided them inside for lunch. She seated them onto stools in the kitchens, and placed bread and cheese in front of them. Cutting up apples and other fruit, she placed them onto the table and reached for an apple slice. Biting into it, the juice squirted out and caused the twins to laugh as she giggled.

She wiped her nose and cleaned the apples gift from it. Winking, she watched curiously as her youngest son did not seem interested in his lunch. She glanced over his face, but found no traces of anything wrong, but asked the question all the same. "Are you not hungry?"

Elrohir smiled and shook his head. "Think I ate too much-" He paused searching for the word.

Raising an eyebrow she nodded. "Breakfast?"

He grinned and nodded. "Bweakfast." He repeated.

"Alright, but if you get hungry you let me know." She pulled the plate away but placed an apple slice in front of him. "Eat this for now."

He wrinkled his nose, but did as he was told when she raised a delicate eyebrow leaving no room for argument. He nibbled at it lightly, and it had taken him awhile to finish it off, but when he did, she shooed the boys outside once more. Following behind, she started a song she knew the boys loved. As she sang, they danced around in circles arms gripping the others as they spun around.

They spent the afternoon in laughter. That evening, they sat at the dinner table as a family. Elrond watching his family. Elladan finished his meal off quickly, reaching for more as he normally did. But his youngest sat there pushing his food around on his plate, not seemingly interested in it. Leaning over, he whispered in his wife's ear. "Is there something wrong?"

Shaking her head she shrugged. "He did not eat lunch either." She informed her husband whose forehead wrinkled.

"Eat your dinner, Elrohir." Elrond commanded gently.

The small boy shook his head quickly. "I not hungwy."

Elrond nodded. "You did not eat lunch, I am surprised you are not."

Elrohir pouted.

Elrond reached out his hand and felt his sons forehead, but it felt cool. "Why are you not eating?" He asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, Elrohir pushed his plate away and folded his little arms across his chest.

Elrond chuckled and shook his head. "If you do not eat, my son, you will be starved by morning."

The small child shook his head. "Won't."

Celebrían watched this with growing concern. She had never known her sons to not eat what was placed in front of them. Once they had been led out by a young elven woman, she turned to her husband in question. "What is wrong with him?"

Elrond shook his head. "It appears to be nothing, love. Perhaps he is not hungry like he says."

"Two meals in a row?" She asked placing her hands on her hips.

Elrond shrugged again. "If he does not eat breakfast, then I will look into it more."

Sighing, she nodded. Slipping from the room to check on her sons, she was lost deep in thought. Celebrían still couldn't believe that her child was not eating, but perhaps Elrond was right. Shaking her head, again, she entered the bathing stalls where her sons were splashing around in a basin of warm water.

They were certainly active enough. She pulled down a soft towel and held it out whistling. Elladan scrambled from the tub and charged her. She wrapped his small body in it quickly, and then pulled the second towel down. Elrohir climbed more slowly out of the tub, then slipped and fell. She watched as he pushed himself to his feet just as confused as she was, and stumbled over to her.

"Did you hurt yourself?" She asked wrapping the towel around him tightly.

He shook his head quickly.

She waved for them to follow her through the door. They walked down the halls, more slowly then usual, due to Elrohir tiredly stumbling behind. Frowning, she turned and waited for the fifth time as he yawned as he walked.

Turning around once again, she led them down another corridor, when she heard a faint thud. A small whimper reached her ears, and she twisted in mid stride back around the corner. Elrohir was lying on the floor whimpering, and yawning tiredly. Elladan was trying to help him to his feet, which did not seem to be working at all.

She gathered Elrohir into her arms and carried them to their chambers quickly, Elladan following almost right beside her. Concern glazed her eyes, as she nodded Elladan to the bed. "Crawl in, I will return in a moment."

As she hastened down the halls, her sons eyes slipped closed, and fell limp in her arms. Gasping she raced to where her husband had been headed to. His study. She broke into a run and around the corner to where her husbands study was. Calling out, the door opened quickly.

"What happened?" Elrond asked taking the small child from her arms.

"He appears to be overly tired." She began. "But he just fell asleep."

"His heart is racing." Elrond exclaimed. He began to examine his son once he used his arms to brush his desk clean of paper. Paper, and inkwells scattered to the floor unnoticed as he gently laid his son down.

Celebrían gripped her childs small hand in hers and watched Elrond's expert eyes and hands travel over Elrohir. Frowning, Elrond muttered under his breath trying to locate the source of this strange fate. Shaking his head, he looked up at her and shrugged.

"I can find no wrong with him. Perhaps he was only tired and was too exhausted to continue walking." Elrond held his hands out helplessly.

Celebrían nodded unconvinced.

"Love, allow him to rest tonight, I will stay and watch over him. Any change I will awaken you immediately."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. Celebrían watched as her husband picked Elrohir up and cradle him in his arms gently. He was concerned, mostly about his sons racing heart. He carried Elrohir to his chambers where Elladan was sitting on the bed clutching his pillow tightly. His face was flushed and worried. When he saw his parents enter with his brother he scrambled to the edge of the bed.

"He ok?" Elladan asked curiously, watching his father place his brother onto the pillow.

Elrond nodded. "He is tired. Come, curl up here." He petted the bed. "I will read to you tonight, while your mother gets some rest."

Celebrían kissed her sons good night and left the room extremely worried, but at ease knowing her husband would be watching them intently. She prayed that her son would improve by morning. Retreating to her bed, Celebrían found no rest as she worried over her son.