Chapter One
First Snowfall
He grinned widely as he woke. The air in his room was chilled, and he sat up rubbing his eyes excitedly. A cold room first thing in the morning could mean only one thing. Hopping down from his bed, he felt the cold seep into his feet as they raced across the tiles. Running to his window, he hopped onto the small cushioned bench there and pushed aside the filmy curtains that covered his windows. Looking eagerly out the window, he saw what he had been waiting for, for weeks. Snow!
Giving a joyful whoop of joy, he jumped down from his bench and raced to his door barely unable to contain his excitement. Darting across the hall, he quickly pushed open his brothers door and peered inside. Typical, he was still sleeping. Tip toeing to the large bed in the center of the room, Elladan climbed up onto his brothers bed, and started jumping on it.
"Wake! Wake!" He started in a singsong voice. "Snow has fallen, the air is cold, winter is here, summer is old, frost covers everything, a blanket of white, snow still falls, drifts galore, wake, wake." To his dismay, his twin rolled over and grumbled still sleeping.
Elladan flopped onto his twins bed and leaned over looking at his closed eyes grinning. "Ro?"
His brother mumbled into his pillow something that Elladan couldn't make out.
"Ro?" He asked again leaned over more. Elrohir curled up into a tiny ball, pulling his comforter over his head.
Grinning brightly, he shrugged and ran out of his brothers room headed towards his parents. He was so excited, all he wanted to do was go outside and play in the swirling snow that fell. Pushing open his parents door, he was surprised to see the room empty. He felt his mouth drop open. Furrowing his brow, he quickly exited the rooms, and began his long search for his parents.
Darting towards sudden laughter, that he heard drift up to him from the halls below, Elladan stopped at the stairs in glee. Grinning mischievously, he climbed onto the banister and slid down it quickly. Strong arms stopped his descent and held him up by his little arms, turning him around.
With a raised eyebrow, Glorfindel smirked at the childs flushed face. Squirming excitedly, trying in vain to get out of the advisors arms, Glorfindel finally placed Elladan onto his feet, and smiled watching the small elf race towards the dining halls. There the small child danced about on his feet, excitedly as he watched the flurry of motion of other elves bustling about placing food and implements on the tables.
Elladan's eyes scanned the room, looking for his parents and found them near the back. Skipping into the room, unable to contain his excitement, he raced up to his father and tugged at his long robes.
Elrond looked down surprised at the small tug on his clothing, and laughed merrily. "Good morning my little imp." He reached down and picked the boy up into his arms. "Did you sleep well?"
The tousled hair was array, ends sticking out carelessly. Elladan grinned and nodded. "It snowed."
Elrond chuckled. "Aye, it did. Where is your brother?"
"Sleeping." Elladan grinned wider.
"Well why don't you go back up stairs, get dressed, and then see if Elrohir is awake. We will have breakfast and then you both can go outside and play. How does that sound?"
Elladan frowned. "I want to go play now, Ada."
Elrond nodded. "First you need to get dressed, you are still in your bed clothes. Then you need to eat to keep your energy while you play."
"I have lots of energy." Elladan flashed a toothy grin at him.
Elrond raised an eyebrow; he knew his sons had tons of energy to sustain them. He sometimes found it hard to keep up with the constantly moving children. "Yes, but you will eat before you go outside." Placing the boy down onto his feet again, he gently pushed the boy towards the dining rooms entrance. "Go, dress and gather your brother."
Elladan pouted, but did as he was told. He wandered up the stairs, and entered his bedchamber slowly. His ada sure knew how to take the fun out of things. Opening the wardrobe in the corner of his room, he let out a startled yelp as a mass of blankets tumbled out onto his head. Heaving a large frustrated sigh, he kicked the blankets out of his way and pulled out a shirt and trousers, along with a heavy jerkin. Pulling out the last item he needed, were a pair of soft leather boots lined with fur from an animal of sorts. Tugging them onto his feet, and looking at his room, he darted out and wandered into his brothers chambers, where the bed in the center was still occupied.
Smiling, he made his way to the bed and shook his brother and sighed as Elrohir rolled over away from him. "Ro, ada wants us up now."
Elrohir moaned and rolled over to face him. "I'm sleepy."
"You have to get up now." Elladan placed his hands on his hips.
Elrohir frowned and shook his head. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his eyes glazed. Once again, Elrohir rolled over onto his other side and curled up under the blankets more.
Elladan frowned and shrugged. "Suit yourself, but it snowed last night." He informed his brother who normally would sit upright and grin at him. This time however, Elrohir shrugged and ignored it.
Elladan felt his frown deepen and he crawled onto the bed. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing, I am tired, go away." Elrohir snapped.
Elladan paused, but climbed off the bed after awhile and left the room. He was sure acting strange, Elladan thought to himself. Usually, he and Ro would barely be able to eat in their excitement and race out into the lightly fallen snow and play the day away. Today was different, and he continued to frown as he made his way back to the dining halls.
Everyone was seated at the table, talking merrily, and Elladan caught his father looking at him in question. Elladan shrugged and shook his head. Elrond frowned and waved Elladan over. Picking the boy up and placing him into his lap he asked him quietly.
"Where is Elrohir?"
Elladan pouted. "He said he was sleepy. Told me to go away."
Raising his eyebrows, Elrond shared a look with his wife before nodding to Elladan who still had tousled hair. "Go sit, we will eat and then see if your brother is awake."
After they ate their breakfast, Elrond, Celebrían, and Elladan walked up the stairs towards Elrohir's room. Elrond had silently hoped that his youngest son would waken and join them at breakfast, but he still did not make an appearance. They entered the dimly lit chamber and noticed the small form on the bed stir. Elrond smiled slightly and walked over to the bed, shaking Elrohir's shoulder gently.
Elrohir rolled over and told his brother to go away again, but opened his eyes when he heard his father chuckle. The small child swallowed. "Ada?"
"Yes, Elrohir. Now, why have you remained in bed so long?" Elrond asked brushing the childs hair back, noticing the flushed cheeks and glazed eyes. The boys forehead was warm, not hot, but definitely warmer then normal.
"I do not feel up to leaving my bed." Elrohir muttered.
Elrond raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling ill?"
Elrohir winced; he should have known he couldn't keep anything from his father. Slowly he nodded.
"I told you I had wanted to you to dress warmly yesterday did I not?" Elrond gently scolded. Elrohir nodded again. His wife placed her hand on his shoulder and looked at him hard.
Elrond took the hint and stood. "What is it?"
"Elrond, elves do not get sick." Celebrían frowned.
Elrond shook his head. "Elves do not, I agree. However mortals do."
Celebrían's frown deepened.
"My love, the twins have some mortal blood in them, you know that."
"I do yes. But why have they never fallen to the mortal illnesses before?"
"Perhaps their mortal blood is building up an immunity to future illness. I remember many times, Elros and I had been ill. Sometimes violently. It is not a sign of weakness, only a reminder that their mortal blood still flows through their bodies."
Celebrían nodded, a worried frown creasing her forehead.
Elrond smiled. "Do not fear. He will be fine by the morning. His cold is small, and definitely nothing to fret over."
Elrond walked back over to the bed and gently brushed Elrohir's forehead. "You rest today. I will get something to help you feel a bit better."
Elrond closed the door behind him, after he had given his son a tonic to help him sleep. It was a mortal tonic that he had used before to help with men's illnesses, and also helped place antibodies in the body to aid in fighting a cold.
Elladan looked sad, as he sat on a small bench outside his door. Elrond sat down beside him. "You will have to go outside by yourself today." He began.
Elladan nodded. "Is he alright?"
Elrond nodded. "He will be fine, a small cold, nothing more. Tomorrow, if he is better you two can play." Elladan nodded again. "I would like you to dress warmly today. There is a cloak lined with fur in your wardrobe." He held up a hand as his son began to protest. "No, there will be no arguments. This is not a request, you will wear that cloak if you wish to play outside."
His eldest sighed but nodded. "I will have no one to play with."
Elrond shook his head. "I am certain that there will be other children playing in the snow today."
Elrond watched as Elladan wandered into his room to retrieve his cloak. When his son exited with it, he helped place it around his shoulders and clasped it around the neck. He turned his son around to face him and nodded satisfied.
The elf lord guided his son towards the front entrance, and stopped him briefly before allowing him outside. "If you start to feel even the slightest bit cold, I would like for you to return home. Do you understand?"
Elladan nodded.
"Alright." Elrond smiled. "Go have fun." He watched as Elladan wandered down the steps sadly. Shaking his head, he remembered when He had been confined to the bed when his brother had been allowed outside. Elrond had been frustrated.
It was sometime later, when Elrond checked on his youngest son. Elrohir was still sleeping, but his slight fever seemed to be fading. His elvish healing had definitely kicked in. He smiled despite himself. Their elven blood was stronger then their mortal blood and therefore came to the conclusion that any cold they would have would be diminished quickly. Standing, he exited the room and wandered down to his study.
He heard laughter outside when he approached his desk, and peered out the window. Elrond grinned. He noticed Figwit behind a tree, making balls of snow and packing them firmly. Off to the side Glorfindel stood shaking his head as Erestor looked around at the one who had pelted him with the frozen rain. The balrog slayer only shook his head shrugging when Erestor looked at him.
Elrond watched silently as Figwit pelted Erestor with another causing the elf to growl when he caught sight of the other. Giving a laugh Figwit tore out from behind the tree, leaving Glorfindel roaring with laughter.
Elrond shook his head and turned away from the window, seating himself into his chair. He rifled through the mass of letters, scrolls, and various books scattered over the top of his desk and sighed. Too long had he pushed aside the requests and updates on other villages. It was time to respond to the other towns, so he began writing and reading.
Elladan skipped over the snowdrifts. They were small, nothing exciting, but he was bored. It was no fun playing by himself. He wanted his brother to be outside with him. Sighing, he kicked at the snow unhappily. Silently, Elladan continued in his current direction, not really aware of time or anything else.
He fingered his cloak in annoyance. Elladan wasn't cold, so he didn't understand the need for it. Frowning, he glanced around him in excitement, there was no one around so who would notice if he took it off? With quick fingers, he unclasped the cloak and placed it on a small log. Freedom from the heavy thing, Elladan trudged through the snow, giggling as his feet slipped on a harder piece. Dropping to his knees, he brushed the snow aside to notice some ice under it. The little pond on his right wasn't frozen, but the little patch of ice under him was.
He stood up and stepped on the ice, feeling happy as his feet slipped again. Getting bored with skidding on the ice, Elladan walked away from it to the little pond. The edges were frozen, but the middle wasn't. He poked his finger into the frozen part of the water and it remained intact. He dug through the snow around him searching for a stone, and found one. Throwing it into the pond, he watched as the thinner pieces of ice broke away from the impact.
He knew water was dangerous in the first snowfall, the blue liquid being very cold, and not frozen. Elladan wondered when the pond would be frozen enough to wander out onto it. Sighing in frustration, Elladan stood and walked away from the pond. Kicking at the snow again, he made his way up a slight incline to his left. Looking down it, he tilted his head slightly thinking rapidly. Grinning with a sudden thought, Elladan ran back to the shed that had been built in the fall. Inside he knew there were boards placed together with the bottom covered in metal. Pulling at the heavy item, he pulled it with great effort up the incline, and sat down on it excited at having found a new thing to occupy his mind.
Kicking himself off the hill, he gave a loud whoop as he slid down the hill speedily. Flushed with elation, Elladan skidded to a stop at the bottom and pulled his sled up the hill again.
He was finally bored, with his sledding quiet a while later, and sat on the log where his cloak was, sighing, Elladan stood up and wandered off towards a small field. It lay near a patch of saplings that had been planted that summer, and they were still small seemingly happy to huddle together in their new life. He knelt beside a sapling and fingered it. It seemed the small twig shivered with its own excitement; he felt a grin spread across his face.
Sighing again, Elladan stood and raced through the field swinging his arms around twirling in circles. He tilted his head back closing his eyes as he did, happy that he could feel the cold air on his face. Elladan stopped spinning and tried to catch himself as he plunged to the ground dizzily. Giggling, despite himself, Elladan finally got his bearings and stood up. He noticed the sky turning dark, and he knew it was time to head home. Quickly racing back to the log that he had put his cloak on, he fingered it, and placed it back around his shoulders. Running down the path, Elladan slipped into the trees quickly. It was a short cut he and his brother had found that fall. As he ran, he realized how late it really was as the sky darkened even more. Wincing, he knew his parents would be upset at his long absence, and he hastened his run.
Carelessly he ran, jumping over branches, and rocks that had scattered the path, and his foot hit a hidden rock causing him to let out a startled yelp as he fell down in a heap. Pushing himself up, he got to his feet and felt a twinge in his ankle. Sighing, he ignored it and ran onward. It was not far now; he could see his fathers home in the distance. Elladan didn't realize how far he had wandered. Snow began to fall again and Elladan stopped looking upward smiling. The dark clouds above him caused his smile to fade however. They were dark menacing clouds, black and angry. Frowning, Elladan stopped. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Elladan ran even harder towards his fathers home, knowing that a storm was brewing, as the snow began to fall harder and thicker, flying aimlessly around him.
Elladan stopped as the snow flew up around him even harder, causing him to loose sight of his home. He started walking now, knowing that if he ran carelessly, he would get himself turned around in the flurry of snow, and could easily get lost. The child trudged slowly, remembering his fathers words, 'remain calm, keep your head low and listen for sounds around you.'
Elladan did just that. He slipped and fell a few times, and he shook his head, hearing voices in the distance. Grinning, he followed those voices knowing he was near his house. He lifted his head, and looked around seeing only a flurry of white. The sky had darkened even more, shedding everything around him in a deep grey. Breaking into a run once again, his ears perked listening to the dim voices. He slipped and fell heavily on a patch of hidden ice, growling, he stood up again and took a step. The snow beneath him suddenly gave way, and he pitched forward with a startled cry. His hands grasped at the snow trying to break his fall, but he plunged downward, and as he fell he felt his head crack against something, knocking him into a void of colours and then blackness.