Discalimer: Middle Earth unfortunately doesn't belong to me… I can't even phrase something in Elvish!

Chapter Eleven. Long Kisses Goodnight

Elemmire was almost bent double with the pile of dry towels and clothing Elrond had given him. "Take those to your Ada and Gwador-Ada," Elrond commanded. Elemmire nodded juggling the items slightly and shifting shyly from one foot to another. "And I suggest you fervently apologise for worrying your father to fading…" Elemmire whimpered silently and bobbed his head in acquiescence to Elrond's request.

"I am sorry," Elemmire murmured. "Truly I am. I won't climb another tree again… I didn't like being stuck up there with a mean elf trying to shake me free from the branches."

Elrond grimaced slightly and glanced at a cringing Orophin, who shrugged listlessly.

"Go!" Elrond commanded with a wave of his hand. Bobbing his head once more Elemmire scrambled, with the best of his ability considering his load, out of the room and down the hall. Not without tripping over his own feet.

Elrond smile disarmingly at Galadriel and Celeborn and shook his head sadly. Celeborn was gazing at him with half lidded eyes over the goblet of wine, Elrond had previously unceremoniously shoved in his hand before loading up Elemmire.

"Elrohir's latest foundlings unfortunately weren't orphaned ferrets," Elrond sighed. "He has his hands full with those two twinlings."

"TWO!" Orophin cried. "There are two of them?" He slapped his face with his free hand and groaned. "Ai! ... Illúvatar save us all!"

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"ARGH! Ruddy elfling watch where you are going!" Elemmire landed on his backside, towels and clothes landing everywhere.

"Ow! I'm sorry," Elemmire breathed gathering the garments clumsily resting on his knees. "I couldn't see where I was going."

"Hmm. With such a large pile I can understand why."

Elemmire blushed heatedly, still collecting garments trying not to look at the new comer.

"Where are you going little one?" the stranger asked.

"I'm off to fer… fer….feverly," Elemmire stumbled trying to remember the words Elrond had used when he had given him instructions. "…apologise to Ada," he finished lamely but decided after a moments hesitation to add, "But I'm lost."

"A lost elf, eh?"

Elemmire nodded and first the first time took his eyes off his small boots and up into the peering face of the stranger.

"You're human!" Elemmire cried before he could stop himself. He clapped both of his hands over his mouth and his eyes bulged in trepidation of what the stranger thought of his rash words. He had always been taught to be meek and mild when talking to a grown up.

The human however chuckled lightly picked up Elemmire's load and replied before standing. "I'm Estel and you would be the famous Elemmire. Come I'll take you to Ada Elrohir," the human said with a hint of amusement in his voice. He clicked his tongue and chuckled again, looking at Elemmire and grinning.

"What's funny?" Elemmire demanded as he pranced up behind the human, Estel. His long ruined raven braids bouncing behind him.

Estel merely grinned shook his head and replied, "Many things for a start I'll leave Imladris and Elrohir has no children. I come back a month or two later and here he is with twins!"

Elemmire frowned. "That's not funny."

Estel only grinned wider and opened a door. "This one is Ada Elrohir's."

Elemmire gulped and wove under Estel's arm which held the door open. "Ada…"

Two adult pair of eyes regarded the little elfling harshly. Elemmire quailed under their gaze and glanced back at Estel as if wishing he could save him from his predicament.

"Come here, Elemmire," Elrohir ordered coolly. Elemmire obeyed on weak legs. He knew never to disobey an important adult's direct command.

When the little elfling was close enough Elrohir took the child's small hands in his own. "Why did you venture into the woods by yourself? You had me thinking you were drowned."

Elemmire glanced uncertainly back at Estel then a glaring Elladan and finally into Elrohir's eyes. "I'm sorry…" Elemmire's bottom lip trembled and tears filled his eyes.

"That was not my question ion-nin."

Elemmire sniffed loudly. "I saw more than one human in the courtyard," he stated as if it finalised the manner.

Elrohir and Elladan exchanged confused glances.

"Obviously they were slavers," Elemmire whispered scanning the room so that his large watery eyes resting on Estel. "No insult implied Mr. Slaver, sir."

Elladan could not contain his mirth at the incredulous look on Estel's face. Snickering he took a towel and draped it around his shoulders. "He's not a slaver," Elladan said. Elemmire looked extremely doubtful.

"Elrohir rescued his babes from slavers," Elladan explained almost apologetically to Estel. Finally Estel closed his opened mouth. "Perhaps you can play with the twins while we clean ourselves up."

Elladan and Elrohir gave Estel no option to reply. They left the room abruptly and moments later Amdir burst through the room and giggling wrestled his twin onto the floor.

'Oh well,' Estel thought wearily, 'Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.'

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"Best behaviour," Elrohir warned. Both twins nodded there head in unison their faces the picture of innocence. Of course they were both pretty naïve about elvish culture so Elrohir was sure it was inevitable that the twins would find trouble of some sort.

"You're both to stay in the Hall of Fire at all times unless I say otherwise." The elflings nodded at once. Elrohir sighed heavily and sent another critical glaze at the children. Amdir was dressed in deep blue and was tugging at his braids. Elemmire was dressed in deep crimson so that the guests could tell the two apart.

With a small nod of approval Elrohir steered his twins towards the opening of the doors and ushered the children before him like a mother hen.

Elrohir gazed from Galadriel and Celeborn his grandparents who both could not help but stare at the children he lead gently before him. Orophin looked horrified and was choking on his wine. Elladan was waiting patiently listening to Erestor talk with their father.

'What took you so long?' Elladan sent glancing momentarily out of his wine glass.

'Amdir still doesn't like his braids...And Elemmire's scared that big bad Orophin is going to throttle him.'

'Oh.' Elladan snorted loudly choking on his wine. 'There's a possibility.'

Elrond watched the silent exchange between the elder twins, eyes narrowed. Elladan's eyes flickered to Orophin then back to Elemmire a sure tell tale sign of the silent conversation. Grimacing Elrond glared at Elladan, who shrug innocently, Orophin hated it when the twins spoke about him through their invisible link.

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Elemmire listened wide eyed at the beautiful elvish voices that filled the hall. He was sitting on his Ada's lap since; Elrohir was determined not to let him out of his sight. But Elrohir was tending to a sleepy Amdir who was being lulled asleep by the music. And Elemmire was too busy watching and waiting for an opportunity to leave Elrohir's lap.

Elemmire quickly slipped from Elrohir's knee and crawled under the table. A moment later his raven head popped up near Orophin's elbow.

"Psst…" Elemmire jerked the elder's jerkin in his fists. Orophin who had his goblet raised looked over its rim down at Elemmire. With very slow deliberate movements Orophin replaced the goblet firmly onto the table and faced the little monster.

"Hmm…" Orophin murmured trying to do his best impersonation of scary.

Elemmire just stared up at him with starry eyes. "I'm terribly sorry about your nose, Awe-foe-flyn. But I don't think it's broken."

Orophin gazed at the youngster and for a moment he could not for the life of him figure out what scared him about this child. He merely nodded his head and Elemmire disappeared back down under the table once more.

"Gwador, if I ever think of having children feed me to a pack of wargs," Orophin whispered in Haldir's ear.

"Upon my words I will," Haldir replied solemnly. "The poor child!"

Elemmire however had not heard this exchange and was making his way towards Elrond under the table. He misjudged however and found himself positioned between Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.

Lord Celeborn gasped slightly in surprise to come face to face with a child's face under the table cloth but otherwise he smiled. Drawing his chair out slightly, he gracefully bent down and picked up the transfixed child. "What's this I find under Lord Elrond's table?"

In the next moment Elemmire was on Celeborn's knee. "Now let's have a good look at you, eh. You're Ada hasn't given me a chance." Celeborn's soft hands caught Elemmire's chin and lifted his gaze.

"Hmm… you could do with many a good meal." Celeborn offered Elemmire a bowl of berries he had observed the youngsters enjoying. He and his brother had demolished the other large bowl of berries almost between them.

"Iauradar! No more berries he'll burst!" Elrohir cried from the other table as Elemmire was gathering courage to take what was offered to him.

"Nonsense," Celeborn said shaking the bowl slightly. The temptation was too much, Elemmire's hand shot out and grabbed a fistful of berries which he made short work of. "He's obviously still hungry."

Elrohir frowned and stood holding a snoring Amdir in his arms. Elemmire glanced up as Elrohir motioned to him. "Time to say goodnight."

Elemmire looked back at the bowl of berries in disappointment but obediently slipped of Celeborn's knee. "Goodnight," he said, thinking of the bowls of berries that might greet him at breakfast. Celeborn patted his head and kissed his cheek which made Elemmire squirm with a giggle. "Goodnight, little star."

Elemmire made his way slowly around the table saying goodnight to just about everyone; even the elves he didn't know. Amused and slightly annoyed by Elemmire's display of friendliness Elrohir had no choice but wait.

Elemmire deliberately left Elrond to last. He stopped before the elf lord before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his cheek. "I am truly sorry for the trouble I caused today. Really I am."

Elrond did not fight the smile that tugged on his tips. "You have learnt from your mistake?"

Elemmire nodded.

"Then be at peace. I am no longer angry. Now goodnight."

"Good night Iauradar!" Elemmire jumped from his placed and bounded out after Elrohir, high on natural sugars.