Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant
Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything
Chapter: 13
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me
Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'
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"One of you should swim ahead to arrange transport from the docks to the city." The day after the arrival of the second boat, they had moved the two lost Lords to the riverbank, where they had nearly been crushed by Tuor throwing his full sea-lion-weight at them in his joy. Currently, both had been safely nestled together in one of the boats, tucked in with bedrolls and what furs the Avari had given them for the journey to be as comfortable as possible. Erestor stood next to the fallen tree, arms crossed in annoyance. Likely he was perturbed that their 'rescue' had been mere hours after he left New Gondolin, meaning he could have dodged the bother of all this exertion.
"Elladan or Tuor, then." Elrond was sitting on the tree, nibbling on some lembas. He was still a touch paler than usual, having given far more of himself than he himself had probably realized or intended. "I want a healer here in case the journey aggravates something I did not manage to heal."
"I am faster than Elladan." Tuor pointed out, already reaching for his tunic to pull it over his head.
"I can take the second boat with 'Rohir and perhaps Paenvellon." The elder twin agreed. "Then Legolas, Erestor and Coruneth can take this one..." He patted the elegantly carved stern of the boat holding the two elves they had found. "And dad can save his energy after draining himself dry..." He tartly added with a flat expression.
"That I did it once does not absolve you from having done it a few dozen times." His father countered the look his eldest was given him. "But yes, that probably is the best way to go about this."
"Are we going to fit though...?" Rog demanded softly. "I'm pretty certain these are the four-seaters."
"We'll make it fit, otherwise we'll throw the twins overboard and rearrange matters." Legolas assured him, grinning at his husband's mock-insulted face even as he started pushing the boat towards the water. Erestor snorted softly, rolling his eyes but helping regardless as Tuor slipped into the waves. He barked once before heading off upriver ahead of them.
Elrond patted his long-suffering eldest on the shoulder briefly before helping Paenvellon with the second boat. He climbed in at the front, leaning precariously against the low hull there, feet planted between their supplies.
"I knew there's a reason I like Ereinion more..." Elladan climbed in as well, grabbing one of the paddles.
"Because he voices the opinion you are cute." His twin pointed out, pushing the boat the last bit with his husband before clambering aboard as well. Beside them, they were quickly joined by the other one and the six on locomotion-duty started fighting the current. "Unlike our parents who have sense left."
"I do hope Tuor has the sense to send the carts down the river to pick us up." Coruneth pointed out as she reached for her own paddle. "This for however long it takes to get back to the docks will be annoying."
"Do you have a bunch of employees to get the boats back whenever you use them? Or do you just not leave the bit of river up there?" Legolas wondered as he was the last into the boats.
"The second, mostly." Egalmoth informed him in amusement, looking very comfortable in his nest of furs and Rog. Neither looked like they minded having to really cuddle up against one another to fit. Both claimed it came from having done similar to deal with the cold they had felt with the Avari.
"There's a dock further down with a small village." Erestor briefly gestured downriver before returning his attention to the paddling again. "Sometimes Eärendil just picks up a bunch that are down there and drops them off upriver when he visits."
"We are going to wish that he could do it again if Tuor does not send the carts downriver to meet us." Paenvellon, the one of them who knew the most about boats, muttered. "We're going to have so much muscle-aches at the end of this."
"Foresight?" His law-father joked.
"Knowledge." The Teleri quirked a small grin. "We'll see how it goes."
"First to go swim is Dad." Elladan used his paddle to poke the elder Peredhel in front of him. Elrond laughed softly, fending it off with one hand as the other kept a hold on his seat. "Before we think about ditching me and 'Rohir. At least we are pulling our weight."
"Paddling it, more like." Erestor pointed out from roughly beside him, sitting at the feet of the two Lords of Gondolin in his boat. "And if you cause your father to be lost down the river, I think Celebrian will skin you... and hiding in Ereinion's lap will not help you then."
"He might help." Elrohir teased his twin. "Can you imagine how they would react if Dad had to leave them!?"
"This is bullying, I swear..." The elf who desperately wanted to be a sea-otter right now muttered darkly.
