Lithorniel rapped gently on Katie's door the next morning.

"Come in."

Katie was sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She smiled at the maid as she entered, then glanced down at the box in her hands.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"A gift from Lords Elladan and Elrohir," Lithorniel answered. "They said to tell you that it could be later if it didn't fit."

Katie frowned in perplexity as she took the box and opened it. She gave a small cry of delight when she realized what was inside it. "YES!" she practically shouted, "PANTS!"

000

Legolas heard the sound of someone coming down the hall. As the figure turned the corner, he almost didn't recognize her. It was with shock that he realized it was Katie, dressed in a man's tunic, leggings and boots, her hair pulled back and braided, practically skipping down the hall. He stopped dead in his tracks as she approached.

"What are you wearing!" he exclaimed in amazement and scorn.

Katie didn't even slow her pace, simply hopping right past him. "Good morning to you too, Sunshine!" she threw over her shoulder.

Katie caught up with the twins near the dining room and gave them each a big hug—which caused Elladan to laugh indulgently at her and Elrohir to look a bit startled. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed. "I can move now!" She threw her arms out to the sides and spun, demonstrating. She had added a belt worn low on her hips to make the tunic look a little more feminine, and the androgynous fabrics and designs of the elves did the rest.

"Legolas! Estel!" Elrohir called to the two approaching. "What do you think of the new fashion?"

Estel started and mumbled something, and Legolas looked mulish and said, "I think she looks ridiculous."

Katie grinned and said in a stage whisper to Elladan (loud enough that she could be clearly heard by all), "He's just jealous 'cause I look better in it than he does."

The twins and Estel bit back chuckles, but Legolas merely rolled his eyes.

000

Katie's clothing created a mild sensation in the dining hall that morning. A few elves turned to look at her as she passed, and Elrond raised his eyebrows as she approached the table with the twins on either side.

"We found Katie some clothes she felt more comfortable in," Elladan said by way of explanation.

"I see," the Lord of Rivendell said, smiling a little. "Surprisingly, they look fine."

Katie grinned. "Oh good. I was a little worried. Because a certain someone who shall remain nameless—although I will tell you that his name begins with "L" and ends with "egolas"—said I looked ridiculous." She smiled wickedly at Legolas, who refused to comment.

Halfway through breakfast, one of the servants came up and said something in a low voice to Glorfindel, who immediately left the table. In a few minutes he returned and said something to Elrond, who rose immediately. "Elladan, Elrohir, come with me, please," he said. The twins exchanged worried glances, but followed their father from the room without comment.

They didn't return before the end of breakfast, so Estel did his duty as host and, ignoring Legolas's furious but silent protests, invited her to accompany him and Legolas down to the stables. Katie agreed—Estel had a sneaking suspicion she did it only to annoy Legolas.

000

"Now explain more fully, Glorfindel," Elrond said to his seneschal once they had gained the study.

"One of the maids found this message tacked to the east door this morning," Glorfindel answered, passing him a piece of paper. "Only she and Dorlarth know about it."

Elrond read the message aloud for his sons to hear.

"Lord Elrond. Surrender Vilya to us or your followers will suffer greatly. As a sign of goodwill in this matter, send someone to treat with us alone in the thicket along the western bank of the Bruinen at three o'clock this afternoon. Fail to comply, and you will have a taste of the horrors in store for those you most love."

There was silence. "You cannot give in to their wishes," Elladan stated baldly.

"Certainly not." The elf lord was troubled. "But neither can we ignore this threat."

"Send a decoy and surround the thicket with well-hidden warriors," Elrohir suggested.

"Exactly what I would say," Glorfindel interjected. "We will discover who we're dealing with—and hopefully capture them."

Elrond nodded. "Elrohir, find out if anyone was seen at the east door last night. Glorfindel, gather a handful of your most trusted warriors. We will put a stop to this."

000

Elrohir approached the stables, where he had been told his brother and their two guests had gone after breakfast. He heard them before he saw them. A small smile touched his lips.

"You dropped the brush." Legolas sounded disdainful.

Katie was apparently in a sarcastic mood. "Thank you, Captain Obvious!"

"Katie!" That was Estel, and he was laughing almost too hard to speak.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!"

"You're as irritating as a dwarf. Here." Legolas was apparently handing the brush back to her.

"Why, thank you, Robin Hood!" Katie answered sweetly.

"Who?"

"This guy who wears green tights and runs around the woods with his merry men, shooting things. Son of a biscuit!" Elrohir, unnoticed, stepped in the door just in time to see Katie drop the currycomb again.

Legolas snickered. "Clumsy infant."

Katie threw him a wicked look, and when Legolas leaned over to pick it up for her again, she gave him a little push—just enough for him to slip and fall. "Oopsie! Elf fall down, go boom!" she cried gleefully in a baby-voice.

Legolas gave her a look that meant certain death. Estel, laughing, gave him a hand up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. But my tunic is not." He attempted to brush off his clothes.

"Ohhh, poor baby!" Katie pouted and looked ludicrously sad. "You see this?" She held up one hand, moving her finger back and forth over her thumb. "It's the world's smallest violin… Playing the world's saddest song… Just for you."

Elrohir could no longer contain his mirth. He gave a shout of laugher, which made Estel and Katie jump. All three of them wheeled around. Estel laughed with him and Katie smiled a little shame-facedly. Legolas just gave him a dark look and kept brushing off his tunic. When Elrohir could speak, he took Katie's shoulder in one hand and Legolas's in the other. "Play nice, children!" he admonished.

Katie grinned. Legolas tried to glare at him, but Elrohir's laughter was infectious. "Come on, you three. Let's go back to the house."

"What took you so long at breakfast?" Estel asked as they made their way up to the house.

Elrohir considered a moment before he spoke. "There have been threats made against our house," he answered slowly.

"What?" Estel stopped, and the others did, as well. "What do you mean, threats?"

Elrohir glanced at Katie out of the corner of his eye.

"If I'm supposed to save somebody, I need to know what's going on too," she said, guessing what he was thinking.

After a moment, Elrohir nodded. "Let us go inside, first," he said, urging them to start moving again.

Safely inside the library with the doors shut, Elrohir looked solemnly at Katie. "Nothing that is said here leaves this room, understood?"

Katie nodded, wide-eyed. They all looked at him in expectation.

Elrohir sighed and rubbed his temple. "For some weeks now, we have become aware of unrest in Rivendell. It began with comments overheard along the roads and a changed atmosphere. But the clues are not so subtle anymore, and we fear that this unrest has been going on for some time, now. This morning we received a note, tacked to the east door, threatening to harm those faithful to our father if he did not give them Vilya."

Estel sucked in his breath, and Legolas looked concerned. "Who is Vilya?" Katie asked.

"Vilya is the name of my father's ring," Elrohir explained. "Through it, he protects the borders of Rivendell and holds evil at bay. It is a very powerful thing, and in the wrong hands, it could wreak much destruction. We fear also that those who desire the ring will not be taking it for themselves, but for another."

"The Necromancer," Legolas said quietly.

Elrohir nodded. "A dark power has been growing in southern Mirkwood for several years, now. We do not know whether these usurpers have ties with Dol Guldor or not. There is much danger in these tidings."

They were quiet for a moment, thinking. "Why did you not tell me of this before?" Estel asked. He sounded hurt.

"We hoped it would blow over," Elrohir admitted. "There has never been disloyalty to our father in Rivendell before, and it confused us all greatly. Forgive us, little brother."

Estel nodded. Just then, the door opened and Elladan entered. He glanced around at the solemn faces. "You told them?"

"Yes."

Elladan nodded. "That was good. It is best if we all remain inside, today," he said, taking a seat. "In the note, the usurpers demanded we send an ambassador to treat with them. We have sent a decoy, and Glorfindel's most trusted warriors. Meanwhile, Glorfindel is staying by Father, just as a precaution. We might also be targets. If the usurpers manage to escape our trap or discover we have no intention of handing over the ring, they may become very dangerous."

"Did you discover any more about the note?" Elrohir asked his twin.

Elladan shook his head. "Only what you already told us—that it must have been placed on the door between four and five o'clock, and that none of the servants were in that vicinity at the time. They were all occupied elsewhere." He stood. "Come, Katie, we will take some of our time indoors to teach you some more history."

000

Eruvadhor walked sedately between the trees on the way to the western thicket. He didn't need to look around for the warriors—he knew they had been there for a few hours. Looking for them would be pointless anyway when an elf wanted to stay hidden, he stayed hidden.

The birds continued to sing undisturbed in the trees as he silently approached the appointed meeting place. Eruvadhor was curious to see who this traitor might be, or who he would send to treat with him. He would be glad when all this was over and those culpable were caught. There had been no unrest in Rivendell for many long centuries, and it chilled his heart to think why there might be now.

As he approached the place, Eruvadhor felt a thrill of fear run down his spine. The place was entirely deserted.

A patch of white caught his eye, and he hastened toward it. There was a note tacked to a tree. Eruvadhor pulled it down. As he read it, his face grew pale.

Now all the elite and trusted warriors are away from Imladris. We knew Lord Elrond would never treat with us honestly. Return home and behold the doom that awaits you all.

"Soldiers!" Eruvadhor cried. "Back to Rivendell!"

000

"Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait," Katie said. "Tell me again who Finarfin was?"

"The king of the Noldor who remained in Valinor," Elladan replied patiently.

"And he's the half-brother of Fingon?"

"No, Fingon was the eldest son of Fingolfin, Finarfin's brother."

"Half-brother?"

"No, whole," Elrohir answered. "Finarfin's half-brother was Fëanor."

"And that's the guy who founded Minas Tirith?"

"No, that's Finrod Felagund."

"I thought he led the Noldor to Valinor?"

"That's Finwë."

Katie put her face in her hands. "Please tell me that's all the F names?"

"Well, there is also Formenos, Fëanor's stronghold…"

"…Forweg, leader of the Gaurwaith…"

"…Finduilas of Nargothrond…"

"…Fuinur, lord of the Haradrim…"

"…Forostar in Númenor…"

"…and Fíriel, queen to Arvedui Last-King."

"But none of them really come into this story."

"AUGH!"

"Do not torture her, my sons!" Elrond commented wryly. He had entered, unnoticed, just in time to hear the latest set of complications in Katie's history lessons. "Perhaps history is not to her liking."

"Oh, it's not the history I mind," Katie said. "It's the names. I can't keep all of them straight—especially since apparently half the elves of Arda were named something that starts with 'F'!"

"Perhaps you would like a break from the lesson, to refresh your mind?" Elladan suggested. "We could go find something to eat in the kitchens."

"That sounds great." Katie headed toward the east door of the library, the one that was rarely used, and pulled it wide open.

Had the elves known what was on the other side of that door, they would never have let her open it.

AN: Mwa ha ha ha…

EresseElrondiell: Yay! You made my evening; you really did. And I love the rivalry, too. It's fun to write! –huggles her purple monkey stuffed animal—

don'taskmewhy0991: You're very correct, Estel is the name of Aragorn growing up in Rivendell. And I know that his mother was still alive at this point (many years before the war of the ring), but for the sake of simplicity, I didn't include her. As Elrond raised Aragorn as his own son, I have the twins call him their brother. Glad you like the fic! And you get an invisible cookie for knowing your canon :) The first LotR fic you've ever read? Wow! I'm honored. –grins

igor the werewolf lemming: Thanks! Oh, and awesome name, by the way. :)

That little purple button looks lonely. Why don't you click on it:)