Chapter 2: Eyebrow Raising Adventures
In this chapter, the ages are relatively the same as in the previous one. So is the location--Rivendell, or Imaldris.
It was a lazy midafternoon day in Imaldris, and the twins Elladan and Elrohir lazed around the pond, occasionally dipping a finger in to see if they could catch a fish. They were waiting for Legolas, who was still cooped up inside with Glorfindel at his studies. Both twin's heads flew up as they caught a glimpse of Mithrandir, trying to secretly round another corner. Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. Silently they ran after the wizard, and bumped into a young Arwen on the way. She sat down hard on the pavement, and her lower lip began to tremble.
"Oh no, Arwen, please don't cry!" Elrohir said, picking the elfling up, "We'll take you to Ada." Arwen paused and looked at the two of them.
"What were you doing just now?"
"Not... much... just going after Mithrandir, that's all," Elladan replied, "If you don't want to go and see Ada, go and find Legolas or someone. Go on," he finished, giving her a little push towards where the chamber of books was. Narrowing her eyes at them suspiciously, Arwen turned and walked away. Both twins grinned at each other, and casting a quick glance around, hurried off in Mithrandir's direction.
"So thus the famine in the south was ended for an age, and laws and society came back to the southern communities by way of governing bodies..." Glorfindel's voice trailed on. Legolas sat looking down at the ground, scuffing his feet around trying to kick a rolled up paper ball that his tutor had not yet noticed. Glorfindel's voice paused, and the princeling looked up quickly to see if he was in trouble for something. Legolas gave a small sigh as he realized it was just Arwen standing in the doorway. Glorfindel shook his head momentarily and then gave the princling a small push out of his chair.
"Go on and enjoy the day while you can," he said, smiling at the two joyous elflings. Legolas and Arwen needed no second invitation; quickly they got out of the study chambers and broke into a run as soon as they were out of the older elf's sight.
Elrohir crept along the ground, behind curtains of ivy and brightly colored plants. He could just hear his brother's faint breathing behind him. They were busy stalking the wizard, who had gone around the corner only moments ago. Elrohir paused more abruptly than he had intended when one of the older elves crossed the path in front of them. Elladan ended up head-butting his twin in the backside when they had stopped, and was now fighting torrents of laughter that were welling up inside of him.
Elrohir scowled to himself and quickly continued, turning into a quiet and fairly unknown corner of Imaldris. He sat down, panting, as Elladan crawled out of the vines, sat near his twin, and let out a most un-elf like snort of laughter. Elrohir just raised his eyebrows. Elladan gave into it and burst into unchecked laughter mixed with snorting. Suddenly, the vines in front of them moved. Elladan gave one last abrupt snort and stopped, wide-eyed. The vines were pushed aside and in stepped Legolas. Arwen was still behind, trying to catch up.
"Everyone knows where you are from those noises that Erestor said sounded like sick swine," Legolas said. Elrohir turned and smirked at his brother.
"I was only snorting because of something that happened to poor Elrohir," Elladan replied, finishing the last part sarcastically.
"What was it?" said the prince, jumping at the chance to find out.
Elrohir jumped on his twin to silence him, and a scuffle ensued, with the two of them rolling about and pulling each others hair. The young prince watched interestedly, glad for some entertainment, and cheered when one would throw a good punch at the other.
Hearing loud commotion (and some cheering) coming from the other side of the courtyard, Erestor quickly made his way over there, knowing all to well what was most likely happening.
"Elladan! Elrohir!" he shouted, trying to pry them off each other. They were still trying to hit each other, and making all sorts of awful noises as they did it. Erestor managed to pull the elflings apart, and made them sit, panting heavily, on the stone ground.
"I don't know what this is all about, but if you won't tell me, you will tell your father. Are either of you hurt?" Erestor said. Elrohir sported a puffy and bleeding lip, along with various scratches and bruises, as did Elladan, although he had a bloody nose. Turning around, Erestor noticed Legolas behind him, looking innocently up.
"Did you have something to do with this?" questioned Erestor to the elfling, and looking around at the scowling twins.
Elrohir almost opened his mouth to say something, but then something similar to realization dawned across his face and he quickly shut it. His twin gave him a small poke and a questioning glance. "You'll find out soon," whispered Elrohir quickly.
"You may then go," said Erestor to Legolas. Erestor took both twins and started to pull them along behind him. As they went, Elrohir turned and gave a wink to Legolas, which the prince figured it meant that they could get into some mischief soon. The elfling dragged his feet around the courtyard for a while, smiling innocently at any passerby, and finally made his way over to where the twins had been taken to mend their cuts and bruises.
Quietly Legolas pushed open the door and peered around it. Elladan lay on his bed, upside down with his head nearly touching the floor, and Elrohir appeared to be dangling a string out the window. Both heads popped up as they heard the door creak. "Whew," said Elladan, "I thought you might've been Ada or somebody."
"I can tell you my plan now!" Elrohir nearly shouted. He held up a small, blue glass bottle.
Elladan put his hands up. "Oh no, I'm not gonna do it, you remember last time when we played with Adaís medicines and potions?"
Elrohir just shook his head. "This is different. We won"t drink it this time. It won't even touch us."
Elladan still looked skeptically at the bottle. Heads turned as Arwen came into the room.
Elrohir rubbed his hands together, and said, "Perfect. My great plan is complete. You two"--he paused, pointing to Legolas and Arwen, "Will take this bottle and..."
Glorfindel paused at the inviting courtyard. The benches looked so welcoming, at least for a little while, he thought. No one else was around, and the twins were let go from their lessons for today. As for that target practice with the prince... later, Glorfindel thought, reclining on a bench. He proceeded to read for a while, without taking any notice of his surroundings.
Legolas put one small finger to his lips, as if it was a reminder to silence himself. No one else was around--unless you count Glorfindel, that is, who appeared to be asleep or dreaming. Carefully skirting the border of the balcony, the princeling made his way towards the dreaming elf. Carefully tucked in the elfling's pocket was a tiny bottle of the potion. Legolas checked around one last time, and there was no one in sight. He half crawled, half tiptoed across the empty courtyard, a little smile spreading across his face. Upon reaching Glorfindel, he climbed onto the bench beside the dreaming elf. Glorfindel only stirred a little, and didn't wake up--not sensing any danger (was he wrong). The elfling carefully uncorked the small bottle, a look of concentration coming over his face. Carefully, Legolas removed the dropper, and bending over his teacher, dropped a few clear blue liquid drops on Glorfindel's eyebrows. He nearly bit his tongue as the older elf stirred a bit, muttering something. Grinning, the young prince quickly hopped down from the bench and ran in search of his next victim.
Meanwhile, little Arwen with her charming ways had managed to sneak some of the potion onto Erestor's eyebrows. All the while the pranked elf thought she was being sweet, when in reality she was gleefully patting eyebrow remover onto his unsuspecting eyebrows. Arwen tried her very hardest not to giggle, and ran away quickly so that wild laughter would not reveal their plan.
Elladan sat tapping his foot impatiently. Elrohir sat near, biting his lip and staring out the window. Both of them happily jumped up as they saw Legolas approaching, smiling innocently at everyone he passed. As soon as he entered the twin's chambers, the brothers practically jumped upon the younger elf, eager for news. Both watched the prince with wide eyes, expectantly. Arwen came running in a moment later, looking a bit pleased with herself but also a bit guilty.
"Have fun, little sister?" Elladan asked.
Arwen pursed her lips. "I suppose, though my reputation is ruined now, thanks to you two."
Both twins broke into laughter. "Since when did you have a 'reputation'?" said Elrohir. Little Arwen fought the urge to stick her tongue out at her foolish brothers. Legolas did it for her, just enjoying doing when no adults were around.
"Anyways, how many were--" Elladan's voice was cut off at this point, by multiple loud noises, such as the breaking of glass, a scream of "terror" as Elrohir called it, and other such disreputable noises that the twins immensely enjoyed listening too.
Legolas started smirking at the twins. "You are so dead, boys," the prince said with great satisfaction.
Elrohir started to snarl at Legolas, when they heard shouting down the hall. Elrohir shrugged at his twin and all of them crept out into the hall.
It was obviously the twin's and Arwen's father, and from what they could hear he sounded very upset.
The small company looked above to the balcony, where they could see elves milling around, none with happy faces whatsoever, and all with scorched off eyebrows.
"What did you do to your Ada?" Legolas asked in a whisper with wide eyes.
Elrohir attempted some nervous laughter. "Ah... well, you know, something out of the ordinary."
It was Arwen's turn to question her brothers. "Start telling," she said.
Elladan said, "Obviously, Ada's not a good sport when it comes to trying to make over his eyebrows by tying him to the bed and..."
Elrohir finished for him, "Accidentally mixing up the eyebrow tamer with hot pink dye."
Author's Note: So yeah, I realize that (especially in this chapter) I'm not always writing things that have exact Middle-Earth realism. I suppose you could say I've taken a creative liberty on this--and I wrote this chapter quite a while ago as well. I'm thinking of doing another series with them, at different ages, where things are more realistic (and same in terms of humour xD).