Disclaimer: I don't own any of JRR Tolkin's characters or his wonderful world.
Chapter Five The Udder One
Elrohir took the twinlings' hands in his own. He squeezed tightly more to assure himself than his new adopted sons, whom he realised a little too late still didn't know the good news.
Amdir was content to skip by his side chatting merrily; opening his mouth and speaking whatever came into his mind. Elrohir continually nodded and could not help but smile at the jubilant praise of Imladris from such young lips.
Elemmire however gazed about fearfully and clutched tightly onto Elladan's long grey robes with his free fists. This caused Elladan to frown upon the sweaty fistfuls of his silken cloak. Afraid of Elladan's ire Elemmire shrunk backwards stepping back into Legolas and falling onto his bottom.
"He's the 'fraidy twin," Amdir informed Elrohir confidently, "He were suppose to died at birth cause he was so small… he's so easy to pick on… that is why I have to make sure I look after him."
"Hmm…" Elrohir bent down and picked up his new son and set him firmly but gently back onto his feet. He sighed and draping an arm around Elemmire's scrawny little shoulders he drew the child close to him. So close that he could hear the thumpdy thump of Elemmire's racing heart. "You have nothing to fear here child."
Drawing up the rear Legolas surveyed the two pair of twins. He briefly wondered how long it was before Elrohir was driven insane by the children. It was well known, even in the dark depths of Mirkwood, that Elladan and Elrohir were the bane of Imladris when they were just elflings.
All too soon they were ushered into the dining hall, which unfortunately for shy little Elemmire was crowded with elves.
Silence ensued as Elrohir swept through the room bringing the little ones with him. The gathered elves turned their heads to regard the small children.
Elemmire terrified by such single minded attention yelped, stopped in his tracks, let go of Elrohir's hand and jumped behind Elladan and grabbing at his robe.
'Great now I have two clammy fists creasing my garment,' Elladan thought with a little irritation.
Concealing his annoyance at the shy child's overwhelmed reaction. Elladan turned and gracefully picked up a protesting Elemmire and placed him on his hip.
'Well done adar-gwador,' Elrohir's voice filtered through Elladan's subconscious telepathically.
'He was creasing my robes!'
But Elladan's attention flittered back to Elemmire, the little elf was staring out wide eyed in trepidation at his audience.
"I told you he was the 'fraidy twin," Admir announced clearly.
Elemmire's eyes watered clearly wanting to disagree but he lacked the courage to do so.
At the end of the hall, which seemed ominously far away from a worried and uncomfortable Elrohir, Elrond stood. Alongside him a tall muscularly blonde elf in long robes of greens also stood.
Straightening himself to his full height, Elrohir lead the way resolutely, trusting that Elladan and Legolas were following close behind him.
"Ada," Elrohir murmured drawing out a seat and sitting. Amdir stood a little nervously under the great blonde's elf's hard stare. "Gwanunig presto," he added in explanation nodding towards Amdir who was staring unblinkingly at the blonde elf.
"I have to admit our new ada handled Amdir quite well," Elladan said lightly drawing out a chair and sitting Elemmire on his lap where he couldn't clutch onto his robes. "Legolas on the other hand…"
Cheeks tinged pink Legolas also took a seat giving Elladan a hard stare.
"He asked me a question…" Amdir stressed innocently batting his eyelids in confusion. "And I answered."
Elrohir snorted and pat Amdir's head before setting him too on his lap. "And it was a good answer," Elrohir replied determinedly not looking at a fuming Legolas. Elladan snorted.
"Which one's which?" the tall blonde elf asking pointing at the two elflings.
"I'm Amdir," Amdir said pointing to himself and glanced to his brother who seemed to want to only hide in embarrassment in Elladan's cloak. "The scaredy orc is my brother."
The tall blonde elf winced visibly and stared harshly on the now quivering elfling.
"He didn't know better adar," Legolas explained quickly.
"Please don't speak that word at the table," Elrohir commanded.
"Which one?" Amdir asked thoroughly confused.
Elrohir glanced up at his father who seemed to be watching and waiting for Elrohir's reply. Elladan too seemed to be smiling and waiting. Cupping his hands around Amdir's small pointed ears and whispered the dreaded word.
"Oh orc," Amdir said lightly before Elrohir could stop him. "We don't know what orcs are!"
Elladan clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from smiling uncontrollably. But when his twin fixed him with a hard stare he pretended to be selecting food from the table for little Elemmire to eat. Very soon Elemmire was sucking on a piece of melon which was much too large for him and staring in fascination between the strange confrontation of his brother and Elrohir.
"Then you shouldn't speak of what you don't know," Elrohir said firmly.
'Ah point for me Elladan!'
"Why?"
'Point for Amdir.'
"Because…" Elrohir was lost how does one answer that dreaded simple question?
"Because your ada says so," the blonde elf said.
"Thankyou," Elrohir let out a long sigh. He hadn't realised he had been holding his breath.
"A wonderful analysis, Thranduil," Elrond commented wryly.
Elemmire however had picked up something strange in the conversation. He dropped the melon onto Elladan's lap; making his guardian grimace and was staring at Elrohir with utter amazement.
"Amdir," he breathed, "They have the same name…" Elemmire looked to Elrond who seemed to be highly amused.
"Uh?" Amdir was reaching across the table for some berries. Elrohir clutched him about his waist and grinning ruefully at King Thranduil as he pushed the berries closer to the now engrossed twin.
"He called him…" Elemmire pointed at Thranduil and then to Elrohir. "Udder… that's what they call Udder…" Elemmire finished by nodding at the twins then at Elrond. "They have the same name."
"Oh?" Amdir popped a berry into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. He clearly wasn't so excited by this strange revelation as his brother. "I thought his name was Elrohir."
Elrohir felt his heart thumping against his ribs and chanced a glance at Elrond whose eyebrows were raised.
"I didn't have time to speak with them, ada."
Elrond only raised his eyebrows further.
"See?" Elemmire was practically jumping up and down on Elladan's lap. "They said it again!"
"Speak to who?" Amdir demanded staring up innocently into Elrohir's face.
Elrohir was getting a little desperate. "I was going to speak with them tonight… quietly… Oh I didn't want this confusion!"
Elemmire picked up his melon from Elladan's leg and started nibbling again his eyes glued to Elrohir's face rapt by this strange form of entertainment.
"Oh… you're going pppiiiinnnkkk," Elemmire pointed to Elrohir's cheeks. Bright red would have been a better assessment.
"And this 'elf' confusion?" Elrond inquired.
"We're not confused," Amdir pointed out as if he were insulted, "We know that we are only pretending."
"Tonight, ada, I promise…"
"Hmm… something tells me you are in for a long night, gwador."
"It's your fault they think they're pretending to be elves," Elrohir snapped at Elladan.
"Well you played along with it!"
"What choice did I have?"
Elemmire and Amdir watched the twins' confrontation with frightened round eyes.
"Now I'm really confused," Elemmire whimpered, jumped from the safety of Elladan's lap, crawled under the table so that he could clutch onto Thranduil's robes.
Thranduil glanced down surprised by the elfling's presence. Picked him up and set him into a servant's arms. "Take the little one back to his rooms… his ada is only overwhelming him here…"
"Take Amdir as well," Elrond nodded, perturbed that he was not the first to command the removal of the children, to the other twin who was standing half hidden behind Elrohir's chair.
Elemmire and Amdir hid together under the blankets of the bed. Their small elvish ears heard the door open and close softly.
"We're not here!" Elemmire called.
"Shut up stupid!" returned Amdir.
Elrohir sighed as the 'lump' moved. "You shut up!"
"Shh, he'll hear us!"
Elrohir however despite his elvish senses knew where his little twins were hiding. He sighed heavily and crept up to the bed leaving his book on a side table and slowly peeled the coverings away. Two pairs of green blue eyes stared up at him.
"Ohh," Elemmire wailed throwing himself at Elrohir, "don't yell at me!"
Elrohir enveloped the youngster in his strong arms and fished his squirming brother out of the covers. Elemmire sobbed on Elrohir shoulder.
"Don't yell at him," Amdir begged with sincere concern, "It frightens him."
"I'm not yelling," Elrohir replied softly setting himself on the bed with Elemmire, who was now choking on his tears.
Speaking softly in elvish Elrohir rubbed Elemmire's back and beckoned silently for Amdir to join them. Amdir clambered slowly to his brother and wrapped himself around Elemmire's shaking form.
Elemmire suddenly choked back one last time and lifted his tear stained face. "Please don't yell."
"Hush, ada's here," Elrohir whispered instinctively wiping away Elemmire's tears.
Elemmire snuffled nosily wiping his nose on his tunic which made Elrohir grimace but he did not pull away from the youngster. "There's that name again."
"Ah Elemmire, it is not a word that should frighten you so," Elrohir sighed settling his chin on the elfling's head. He could feel the youngster's small nose pressed tightly into the crook of his neck. Amdir settled himself on the other side of Elemmire rubbing his brother's back.
"Then what does it mean?" Amdir asked.
"It means I've made a very important but happy decision… are you listening Elemmire?" Elrohir felt the nod of yes and continued. "My brother and I found you alone in the wilds with no where to go. We both knew we could not abandon you and so we have brought you to your new home."
"So this is our home now?"
"Forever?" Elemmire mumbled.
Elrohir smiled. "Yes forever."
"You are both very young… and here in this place adults look after their youngsters…"
"Nice ones?"
"… like you?" Elemmire finished for his twin.
Elrohir nodded. "Because you have no nana or ada that we are aware of…"
"That word again," Elemmire muttered.
"Ada's and nana's are very special people…Ada means father?"
"What means father?" Amdir asked.
Elrohir sighed ruefully. 'Elladan this is driving me insane. How does one do this?'
'You made the decision gwador.'
'I know… but how does one explain the meaning of father?'
'I dunno… but make it happy.'
Elrohir sighed again and glanced back at the two children waiting patiently. "A father or ada, looks after his little ones, he loves them, feeds them, teaches them… ah and when his little ones are all grown they still can come to him…"
The twins exchanged looks of indistinguishable emotions. "That other elf is your ada?"
Elrohir nodded.
"You are his?"
Again Elrohir nodded. "I've decided that I should be your ada and look after you."
Elemmire squeaked tears quickly forming in his eyes.
"What's wrong little one?" Elrohir asked dismayed.
"I do…don't wa… want… to – to be yyy…our slave," Elemmire wailed.
'Oh valar help!'
"No, no, no little one," Elrohir gabbled in his panic, "You misunderstood."
Elemmire back peddled until he slipped from the bed slamming his skull on the floor. Stars exploded in front of his eyes and he lay there stunned. He faintly heard Amdir's shout and cry and Elrohir's panicked yell.
Blinking furiously as tears surfaced to his eyes Elemmire lay in a heap clearly in shock.
"Oh little one," Elrohir said scooping him into his arms, "you misunderstood …"
Translation: Gwanunig presto – twin trouble