Spies
Eleniel: 9
Estel: 14
"Do you see him?"
"I do."
"What is he doing?"
"Eating blueberries.
"Hey! They're mine!"
"Shush, Eleniel! He'll hear us!"
"Sorry."
Eleniel and Estel had been hidden behind a table in the Hall of Fire for ten minutes, now. Their keen eyes were fixed on one elf in particular, who was sat in front of the flickering orange flames, eating – as Eleniel had so angrily pointed out – blueberries.
"What's he doing now?"
"I don't know."
Four eyes – two as blue as the sky and two as brown as the oak tree which stood proud in the gardens – watched intently as the elf stood up and walked towards the exit to the room, knocking over a house made from bricks that had been standing on the floor.
"Hey!" Estel screamed, and Eleniel turned to him with wide eyes. "That took me hours to build!"
The elf stopped in his tracks.
Estel and Eleniel looked at each other.
"Run," the teenager whispered, before he grabbed his sister's hand and burst out from behind the table.
But the elf had disappeared.
"Has he left?" Eleniel asked, tightening her hold on her brother's hand and glancing around nervously.
"I don't know," Estel said suspiciously, "I didn't see him leave."
"That would be because I didn't," came a low growl, and the two spun around, coming face-to-face with Glorfindel.
"Fin!" Estel said, offering a smile to the tall elf stood in front of him. "We, er, we didn't see you there!"
"Hm. Would that be because you were hiding behind a table?"
"Probably, yes."
"And what were you doing behind the table?"
Estel hesitated, but Eleniel didn't. "Spying on you!" she told him proudly.
"Spying on me?" Glorfindel asked as he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, but there was an obvious spark of mischief in his azure eyes.
"Y-yes," Estel confirmed with a nod, before a look of realisation appeared on his face. "You knew! That's why you ate El's blueberries and knocked down my house!"
"My, my," Glorfindel said with a low chuckle, and Estel felt his sister's grip tighten around his hand, "you are getting fast! You should have known I would have realised eventually that I was not the only person in the room."
Estel huffed. "That took ages to build."
Glorfindel smiled. "I will help you rebuild it."
"And what about my blueberries?" Eleniel asked, eyes narrowed in a way that reminded the warrior of her father.
"Those were not the only blueberries in the kitchen, little miss!" he rumbled before advancing on the elfling.
Eleniel squealed and turned to run, but the balrog-slayer snatched her up and immediately began to nibble on her neck, laughing maliciously as she practically screamed with laughter.
Estel stood back, smiling a little nervously at his sister's giggles.
"And now," came the growl again, "time for seconds."
Estel hadn't run faster in his life.