A/N;

 'Sindarin'Again, this mainly in conversation in which Rúmil partakes. "Westron"

 I have no idea about the correct way to fight with twin-knives. Haldir's/Rúmil's lesson is completely made up. The meditation part is something that I was taught when I was 14.

CHAPTER NINE

The following morning, Eldarion and Elboron were woken by Haldir shaking their shoulders.

"No echui, pin dithin," he said cheerfully. "Rúmil wants you down in the glade in an hour." Wake up, little ones

The boys groaned and Eldarion twisted his head to face the Elf. "I thought you were teaching us."

"I am, but since I go back on rotation next week, Rúmil is in charge," replied Haldir. "Come on, up you get."

Elboron looked out of the window and saw that the sun was just making its way through the trees. "Haldir, it is the crack of dawn!" exclaimed the tawny-haired child.

"No, dawn was an hour and a half ago. Now up!" Haldir ripped the covers off both boys, causing them both to flinch as the morning air rapidly cooled their sleep warmed skin.

"Fine. Fine we're up," grumbled Eldarion slipping off the bed. Elboron sat up rubbing his eyes, trying to glare at Haldir but let out a sneeze instead. Haldir laughed and placed the covers back on their respective beds.

"I'll meet you on the ground in ten minutes," he said before leaving the boys to get dressed.

"Now that is a sight I will not forget in a hurry," smiled Aragorn as the boys appeared in the glade looking a little bedraggled, followed by Haldir three-quarters of an hour later. He had been talking to Rúmil, explaining what the pair had be taught whilst they were still in Gondor.

'Not everyone has your enjoyment for the morning, Estel,' smiled Haldir as Rúmil picked up two sets of practice knives.

'Elladan could never understand it either,' said Aragorn. 'Elrohir of course used it to his full advantage.'

'As I can well remember,' said Rúmil. He glanced at the boys and then back to Aragorn. 'How much Elvish do they speak?'

'Eldarion can understand most of what is said to him, though not if it's spoken at full speed. Elboron knows a little but I'm sure Eldarion will translate if he gets stuck.'

'Looks like I have my work cut out for me then,' said Rúmil.

'You'll be fine. Now, if they cause any problems I want you to tell me as soon as possible,' said Aragorn. Rúmil gave him a scathing look.

'I handled you and Kalya didn't I?'

'Yes but Ada gave you the same advice,' smiled Aragorn. Rúmil motioned as if to strangle the grinning royal.

The whole way through this conversation Eldarion and Elboron had been stretching their muscles, trying not to look too nervous. They were still unsure as to how they should act around Rúmil, despite Haldir's assurances that everything would be alright and that they would get along fine. Eldarion had also managed to pick up a little of what was said and was itching to tell his father that neither of them had any intention to misbehave. Elboron of course stood looking completely confused.

"I'll see you two later," smiled Aragorn as he ruffled Eldarion's hair. The raven-Prince was not impressed by the action and ducked his head as quickly as possible and out of his father's reach. Aragorn laughed before disappearing through the trees, heading towards Nimrodel.

'Alright. Gentlemen, first I need you to remove your over tunics. They are a little to heavy for what I am going to teach you,' began Rúmil. Haldir was standing nearby, ready to step in and translate if needed but thankfully Eldarion knew what was being said and Elboron copied his friend.

'Now. We will begin with the twin-knives and then after lunch we'll make a start on some meditation. Take hold of these and lets see how much you know so that I know where to start.'

Eldarion and Elboron both took hold of the practice knives which they were being offered and began to square off against each other. Elboron, having had more practice took the offensive whilst Eldarion tried to block as many blows as possible. Eventually, Eldarion managed to find a weak area in Elboron's attack and began to take the offensive before Rúmil called a halt to proceedings.

'Alright. It is evident that you have been taught two different styles. One was taught by a master and the other was taught by an amateur,' stated the younger Elf. 'Estel told me about the various training you had in Gondor and I can safely say your previous instructor didn't have a clue what he was teaching.'

"What's he saying?" asked Elboron who was completely lost.

"Basically, Haldir and Legolas knew what they were talking about while Laegrist spouted a lot of hot air&," replied Eldarion.

"I could have told him that!" exclaimed Elboron. Eldarion smiled.

"Boys," called Haldir and then nodded in the direction Rúmil who was now looking as confused as Elboron had a couple of minutes before. Oh, training was going to be fun!

'This will be easier to explain if I show you,' said Rúmil. 'Haldir, a little help please?' Haldir pushed off the tree he was leaning against and withdrew a pair of practice blades. 'You talk,' muttered Rúmil. Haldir nodded.

"In a battle the wielder of the twin-knives will have an advantage over their opponent because they can attack from both sides," began Haldir. "However, they are also at a disadvantage because it leaves them no opportunity to use a shield, leaving the body open of attacks. In order to protect yourself you need to be able to attack and defend with both hands, and occasionally do both at the same time. If you can help it, do not block an attack with both blades. This leave you open and with no way to attack.

"The most basic defence is a simply parry. The best way to do this is to knock the opposing weapon away rather than simply stopping it. Now, compared to sword fighting, this requires a lot more physical strength do to because the knife is smaller and lighter and therefore does not have the same rush of momentum…"

All morning, Rúmil and Haldir demonstrated the basic moves of knife combat, getting Eldarion and Elboron to copy what they were doing. Both boys had a little trouble to begin with, neither fully comfortable with the weapons they were using and therefore having a very rigid stance. However by the time Rúmil called a halt for lunch, they were a little more relaxed, though it was clear that they had a long way to go before they would be comfortable in battle. Not that anyone was thinking about that but there was no harm in being prepared.

As Eldarion sat cross-legged on the grass and accepted the apple he was offered by Haldir, Aragorn arrived in the glade accompanied by Arwen, Faerveren, Faramir and Éowyn. Faramir was wearing a wide grin whilst Éowyn still looked a little apprehensive.

'What's the matter with Lady Éowyn?' asked Rúmil.

'She is a little nervous around Elves, especially the ones from Lórien,' replied Haldir. 'Estel are you going to stand there all day or will you join us?'

Faerveren made the decision for her father by running up to Haldir and without invitation, settled herself in his lap. Haldir was so used to this form of greeting from the Gondorian Princess that he didn't even blink but instead brushed the tip of his nose across Faerveren's, in a similar way kittens do with their litter mates. Faerveren giggled.

"Who would have thought the fearless March-Warden would greet someone like a kitten," smiled Aragorn causing Eldarion and Elboron to laugh and Haldir to glower. Rúmil received a hasty translation from Arwen and he too laughed.

"So what have you been doing all morning?" asked Eldarion.

"Acting as a tour guide," replied Aragorn, helping himself to some food, causing Rúmil to yelp in protest – it was his food Aragorn was steeling. Aragorn smiled at him, pretending that he was still the innocent Estel to whom Rúmil had first been introduced. Rúmil scowled.

'Would you two stop that?' asked Haldir whilst splitting an orange with Faerveren. Rúmil and Aragorn both turned innocently to Haldir. Eldarion and Elboron giggled again.

"Where did you go?" asked Elboron turning to his parents.

"Mainly for a walk along the river," replied Faramir, "It's a beautiful forest. Very peaceful. I would love to see it in the autumn."

"Maybe one day you will return and your wish be granted," said Celeborn as he entered the glade. He turned to his Guardian. 'So how are our young troublemakers doing?' he asked with a smile.

"We are not troublemakers!" exclaimed Eldarion. "Halhigil deserved what we did to him!"

"Which wasn't an awful lot," muttered Elboron. Éowyn glared at the boys while Arwen looked mildly reproachful. Aragorn and Faramir looked torn between agreement and disapproval.

'Rather well considering the appalling teaching they obviously received in Minas Tirith, though someone else has tried to rectify that,' replied Rúmil, unable to understand what Eldarion had just said but judging by the looks on the Éowyn's face, it was not good.

'And their aggression?' asked Celeborn, seemingly un-phased.

'Was non-existent until you called them trouble makers,' said Haldir. 'Celeborn, they only showed aggression because they were defending Kalya. What would you have them do? Stand by and allow your granddaughter to be slandered by a spoilt brat who never knew her?'

Celeborn thankfully seemed to realise that he had put his mouth in gear before his brain and had trodden on some delicate toes in the process. 'My apologies,' he said before swiftly changing the subject.

Half and hour later, the group had divided up once again, Rúmil, Haldir and the boys moving down towards Nimrodel and the rest heading up to Celeborn's lounge.

'Alright. This next bit will be easier for you Eldarion since you are part Elven,' began Rúmil. 'I want you to sit on the grass and close your eyes…' Haldir quickly translated into Westron. '…do not talk, and concentrate on the sound of Nimrodel flowing past.'

The boys, though feeling slightly ridiculous and a little vulnerable, did as they were told. After a couple of minutes, Haldir's voice broke gently through their thoughts.

"Picture yourself walking along the bank of a gently flowing river. The only sound to be heard is your gentle footstep and the occasional call of a forest animal. Eventually you come to a stream which is flowing across your path and leading to a waterfall. Beside the stream there is a clutch of fallen leaves. Each leaf represents a problem or concern in your life. Gather them up and think about the worry each one symbolises. Cast them one by one into the stream and watch as each floats over the edge of the waterfall. Feel that problem slip away from you as the leaf moves further and further away downstream. Once all your problems have floated away continue on your journey through the forest until you reach a vast glade. In this glade you find bunches of flowers. These represent all the joys in your life. Gather each flower in turn into your hand but do not pull it from the ground. Think about what each flower means and why it brings you happiness……"

As Haldir talked both he and Rúmil watched the facial expressions of the two Edain. Both were relaxed as they took their imaginary walk but when they reached the waterfall Eldarion's face looked a little pained and Elboron screwed his eye tighter. When they began to walk again their expressions began to relax once again. Upon reaching the glade, Eldarion smiled his cheeky innocent smile and Elboron stuck the tip of his tongue between his teeth, the way he did when he was amused.

"…Alright, start your journey back, easily passing over the waterfall until you reach your starting point. Slowly the wood begins to fade away around you until the only sound you can hear is the running of water and your own breathing."

Haldir stopped talking and allowed Eldarion and Elboron a few minutes of silence as they concentrated on their breathing and the gentle rush of Nimrodel.

"You can open your eyes now," said Haldir. Elboron's shot open, only to be scrunched tight again as the sunlight hit them sharply. Haldir chuckled. "Slowly. You've sat with them closed for half an hour. Let them get use to the sunlight. Now tell me, how do you feel?"

Elboron flopped backwards, narrowly missing a tree stump, causing Rúmil to start, but Elboron didn't seem to care about his head's proximity to the object. "Relaxed," he said. Eldarion nodded in agreement.

"Well, it seems that that method worked. As Rúmil told you earlier, we will do weapons training in the morning and some form of meditation activity in the afternoon. Now then, can either of you swim?"

"A little," said Elboron while Eldarion shook his head.

"Well up you get, we've got work to do!" smiled Haldir, before turning to his brother and explaining what they were about to do.

Arriving at a small inlet which was not greatly effected by the flowing of Nimrodel, the two Elves and two Edain slipped out of their tunics so that they were dressed only in their leggings.

"Elboron you come with me, Eldarion you go with Rúmil," instructed Haldir. It made sense for Eldarion to stay with the younger Elf because he was more likely to understand what was being said to him without the constant need for translation and visa-versa but it didn't stop Eldarion feeling a little apprehensive.

Rúmil smiled at the boy before slipping into the water. Eldarion followed, only to discover that, other than the fact it was warmer than expected, it quickly went out of his depth. Instinctively he held his breath as he went under, only to be swiftly brought back above the surface by Rúmil. He coughed up whatever water had made its way into his lungs and shook his head to unblock his ears.

'Alright?' asked Rúmil. Eldarion nodded, looking a little sheepish. Rúmil smiled at him before beginning his instruction.

'Lay on your back, keeping your back stiff but slightly arched so that your stomach is above the water. Don't worry, I'll keep hold of you so you don't sink.'

Eldarion lay back and did as he was told, feeling the reassuring pressure of Rúmil's hands on his back. 'Now spread your arms and legs so that you are in the shape of a cross. Now, I am going to remove my hands one at a time. Try and keep in that position for as long as you can. Don't worry about moving on the surface, that's because of the movement of the water. Ready?'

'Yes,' said Eldarion, concentrating on keeping his back tense and slightly arched. He felt Rúmil's left hand being removed from his lower back and he tensed.

'It's alright, Eldarion. Just calm down, I'm right here,' soothed Rúmil. He waited a couple on minutes for Eldarion to support more of his own weight in the water before removing his hand from between Eldarion's shoulder blades. Eldarion struggled to prevent himself from panicking as the support vanished and lasted about thirty seconds before a group of about seven young Elven warriors decided to join them in the water.

Unfortunately, young warriors being young warriors, they didn't simply slip into the water. Instead they decided to jump, two at a time, in quick succession, throwing up a lot of spray and creating strong ripples that might as well have been waves as far as Eldarion was concerned. Instinctively he curled so of course lost his ability to float and sank under the water again. Panicked he inhaled and the invasion of water made him begin to flounder. He was snatched back above the water, coughing and sputtering by a livid looking Rúmil. Eldarion was to concerned with expelling the water from his lungs and regaining his breath to care whether the anger was directed at him or not. As soon as Rúmil started shouting, he realised that it wasn't him who was the cause of Rúmil's outrage.

'Tathar!' roared Rúmil, has he clutched Eldarion to him, massaging his back in an attempt to calm the boy, who was on the verge of a panic attack, down.

A golden-haired Elf separated from the group of chattering and laughing warriors and made his way over to Rúmil.

'You yelled, Ada,' he grinned.

'Of course I yelled. Are you blind?'

'I wouldn't be a warrior if I was blind,' quipped Tathar.

'Now is not the time for your sarcasm!' barked Rúmil. 'I would have thought it was quite obvious that your Uncle and I were in the middle of teaching two children how to swim!'

'Then the disturbance would have done them good. Helps them to prepare for what swimming in a river would be like,' replied Tathar, seeming none to concerned that the disturbance in the water had nearly cause Eldarion to drown.

'Haldir, take your charge while I deal with my son,' requested Rúmil, turning around to Haldir who had placed Elboron back on the bank. The elder Prince was looking very concerned as Eldarion clung to Rúmil, coughing and gasping for breath. Haldir reached out his arms and settled Eldarion in them, whispering gently to him as he finally began to cease his convulsive coughing.

'The child your antics nearly drowned is the Crown Prince of Gondor. His parents are visiting for the next three weeks…'

'Estel's here?'

'Yes. And how do you think he will take the news that your antics nearly got his son downed?'

'They didn't nearly get him drowned!' protested Tathar.

'He can't swim, Tathar!' yelled Rúmil. 'He was barely confident enough to let me release him to begin with!'

Haldir took that opportunity to depart the clearing with Eldarion still in his arms and Elboron following, leaving Rúmil to reprimand his son. Eldarion began to shiver as the cooling air dried his skin. Haldir paused and pulled the boy's tunic over his head before carrying him back to the room where he had spent the previous night.

NOTICE; The update next week may be late. The reason for this is the chapter isn't written yet and I have my first year finals next week. I will try my best to have it up on Friday but I can't promise anything. Sorry.

Response to reviewers;

Lady of Light; Elvish changed. I also removed the suspect word "sîdh". And I've told you before, I don't mind if people are nitpicky, so don't apologise. It can be very useful and hey, isn't that what this site is for?

Haldir's Heart and Soul; 'Fraid so. Though as you can see, events in Lórien aren't exactly going smoothly either.

IwishChan; Sibling moments are always cute.

Chevalliata; That's happened to me before. Don't worry about, it's good to hear from you again. And I agree with you. The number of Elves may be decreasing but there is no way that they are going to recognise every person they meet!

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur; (bashful) Thanken you. How was lessons; day one?