A.N/ As promised, a little earlier this time with the update :) I love the twins *sigh*

Disclaimer: We do not own anything you recognise.

Chapter Thirteen – On the Balls of Your Feet, as Light as a Feather

Fin's POV

We had been in Rivendell for a couple of days and we had spent a large portion of our time studying and watching our new friends in the training ring. I marvelled as Glorfindel executed a perfect double flip and knocked Dan to the ground once again.
"You are going to have to try a lot harder my Lord if you want to beat me." he declared in a very smug fashion. "I am sure that Ladies Di and Fin could beat you if they put their minds to it. You need to give it your all Lord Elladan or you will surely be felled by the next creature to come your way. You are too confident in your own abilities." Elrohir laughed from his perch on the steps next to me and Di gave an amused chuckle without looking up from her book on battle tactics and ancient warfare.
"Lady Finna." I looked over at Glorfindel and grinned.
"What is it my Lord?" Glorfindel huffed slightly at the formalities. Despite the fact he used them, he constantly asked me just to call him Glorfindel. But where was the fun in that?
"Could you come here and prove my point." I bounced lightly down the steps and into the training ring, taking the two knives from his hands. They were lighter than they looked and I had no problems holding them.
"Do you really expect her to beat me Glorfindel?"
Remember the gymnastics lessons, remember the karate lessons, remember the gymnastics lessons, and remember the karate lessons...
I repeated my mantra and thanked Seph for forcing us all to enrol in those classes.
"Do me proud." whispered Glorfindel in my ear before talking a few steps back.

I stood in the middle of the ring and stared up at Dan. He was much taller than me; I only came up to his chest - a thirteen (soon to be fourteen) year old amateur with only karate and gymnastics behind her against an experienced warrior elf who had hundreds of years training. The odds were against me and Elladan knew it.
"I'll take it easy on you." He said grinning.
That is his weakness...
Said Seph's voice in my head and I remembered one of the karate lessons.
Find their weakness, he underestimates me, he thinks I have no experience at all.
I smiled as Dan ran at me. I dropped to the floor kicked my legs up hitting him where it hurts. He gasped in pain and I rolled away. I had left my knives on the ground. I was doing this without weapons. Elladan turned and ran at me again but more warily this time.
"On the balls of your feet, light as a feather," coaxed Seph. I pushed off into the air and landed on Dan's back.
Lucky jump… I expected you to muck it up.
Seph commented and I mentally rolled my eyes. He fell forward with a yelp of surprise and ended up flat on his face with a mouth full of dirt. I yanked one of the knives out of his hands and held it to his neck.
"I win." Glorfindel cheered and Roh burst out laughing. Dan was never going to live this down. He sat up and I hopped off him.
"I underestimated you." He chuckled and hugged me. "I shan't do that again." He turned to go but stopped. Turning his head he gave me a smile. "And for the record, I let you win." I laughed knowing that he really had just underestimated me but if it helped his broken ego and his hurt pride which was now cowering in the corner like a scared kitten I would play along. Another person's laughter drifted down and I looked up to see Elrond walking along the corridor. I gave a sweeping bow and he smiled at me before disappearing around the corner.

I trotted back up the steps to Di who had moved on to a book of the elvish language. She looked up and the corners of her lips turned upwards.
"Looks like you were having fun."
"Indeed." I plonked down next to her and peered over her shoulder. My reading was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. I turned to see a grinning Glorfindel standing over me. A stray strand of hair fell into his eyes and he brushed it back with a sweep of his hand.
"Congratulations on beating Elladan. He highly underestimated you. He is far too confident." I smiled in return and chuckled lightly.
"How did you know I would win?"
"Well I wasn't certain but I thought that, since you were able to execute a perfect double somersault while jumping out of that tree I found you in, you would be able to evade him. And knowing you, though I have only known you a few short days, you would have something up your sleeve." He winked and I knew that he was referring to the time when I had accidentally kicked him where it hurts after mistaking him for a stranger in the dark. I blushed slightly and punched his leg.
"I may," he added, "have also drugged his food earlier." I began to snort with laughter and Di gave half smile.

"Come on troops!" I turned to see Elladan and Elrohir gesturing for us to follow them. We all got up and followed them to the dinner hall where we had first met. I sat down next to Glorfindel as the cook brought us all some food. We chatted merrily and I began poking the blonde elf next to me to amuse myself. He turned to talk to the twins.
*poke*
He looked back around but I was eating. He turned back again.
*poke*
This continued on for the next few minutes until Glorfindel started poking me back. The thing turned into a full on poke war and no one escaped, not even Di who would rather have just sat there and read her book.
"What shall we do now?" asked Roh with a smile.
"How about you all refrain from speaking." muttered Di who was wishing that we would shut up.
"We could go down to the archery range." Suggested Glorfindel and the twins both broke out into Cheshire cat grins.
"They have already watched us training today. Let us do something more relaxed."
"Like what?" I asked, really not sure whether I wanted to partake in this 'fun' activity.

Twenty minutes later we were at one of the many lakes that surrounded Rivendell. The water was crystal clear and the sun shone of the surface causing it to glitter. It was surrounded by trees and there was a small cliff face on one side. The men were wearing leather pants ( their equivalent of trunks) and were already splashing around in the water.
"Come on Lady Finna! Join us!" shouted Glorfindel before he was dunked under the water by a vengeful Elladan. Elrohir swam lazily to the edge and looked up at me.
"Come on Fin. The water is warm." I looked down at my leather pants and top before sliding into the water. True to his word the water was fairly warm and I did a couple of laps before floating over to Di who was perched on a rock.
"What are you looking at?" Di had her iPod out and was flicking through it.
"They sent us an email. Apparently we are 'Beni' elves." I jumped out of the water and grabbed the iPod, flicking water everywhere in the process. I speed read the email and looked up at Di.
"I never thought of that."
"What?" asked Di puzzled.
"I never realised that talking to them again would indeed stop me from leaving. I just wouldn't be able to do it." I looked over at the three grown elves splashing each other in the lake and my heart hurt. Dan and Roh had tried to make feel as welcome as possible and had already become older brothers to the two of us. Glorfindel in a way was our guardian; he saved us and protected us. After all they had done for us I could hardly bring myself to leave them behind.
"You know what Di? I begin to doubt I will be able to leave anyway." she nodded and took the iPod back. Turning back to the pool I watched as Glorfindel jumped from the cliff into the water, golden hair streaming out behind him. He landed with a slight splash and I smiled as I watched the twins race each other up. Elladan hoisted Elrohir over his head and chucked him in. Elrohir proceeded to run back up and push is flailing twin over the edge and also push Glorfindel who had made his way back to the top before jumping in himself, hair streaming behind him.

"Fin, are you going to have a go?" shouted Dan. I was suddenly reminded of our group trips to the swimming pool were Kels would teach us to dive. Seph picked up most quickly and was soon performing some rather fancy dives and very quickly became better than Kels. Di mastered the normal dive but then refused to learn more as it may 'damage her health'. However I had never really caught on.
"No thanks guys!" I yelled back.
Glorfindel swam to the edge and flashed me a crooked smile.
"I don't think the lady has a choice in the matter." His eyes twinkled and I began to back away.
"Don't you dare!" I turned to run but Glorfindel immediately caught me and climbed up to the top still carrying me while I beat furiously at his chest, trying to get him off me. I could see the cheering faces of the twins far below me and I squeezed my eyes shut. Suddenly, Glorfindel was no longer holding me and I could feel the wind rushing past me. I landed with a loud splash. I opened my eyes and I could see the surface above me. Pushing off from the bottom I broke the surface and gasped feebly for air. Elrohir swam over, hair plastered over his face, silver eyes sparkling gently.
"Are you alright?" I stared at him, one eyebrow raised.
"AM I ALRIGHT?" I jumped on top of him and pushed him under the water "FOR THE LOVE OF GANDALF I JUST GOT THROWN OFF A CLIFF! AM I ALRIGHT YOU SAY!" Di stood by the side of the pool laughing.
"Aww... Did Finna get water on her precious red highlight?"
"THAT'S IT." I clambered from the pool, hair plastered across my face and my eyes blazing. Running forward I grabbed Di and hauled her to the top as she complained that I had got her dress wet.
"It's going to get a lot wetter where you are going." I shoved her over the side and jumped in after her. When I emerged she splashed me in the face. She swam over to Dan and clung to his back for dear life. I turned slightly and Glorfindel grinned at me and gave me a wink, making me blush.

Suddenly there was a crunching in the bushes and Glorfindel pushed me behind him and Dan turned so Di was behind him. The sound got louder until a dark haired elf from Rivendell burst through the treeline. The twins and Glorfindel quickly relaxed and I moved out from behind Glorfindel.
"Toryn." said Glorfindel addressing the new elf. "What is it?"
"Excuse me, I am sorry to interrupt your fun my Lords and Ladies, but could you all please return to the house immediately." We looked at each other in surprise but began to climb out and collect our things nonetheless. He stopped me with a hand and addressed me in a stern and serious expression. "And the Beni elves." My mouth dropped open. How in Middle Earth did Elrond know that? We had only just learned of the name ourselves. "Elrond would like to speak with you in his study when you return. Privately." That did not sound good.

A.N/ Thanks for reading :) Please review.

Ninja Elf Girl: Thank you for the review! The time skip was just as a bonus chapter and not really part of the arc of the story. It was just there because we wanted to show a little of the girls' backgrounds. There are about two chapters before we join the Tolkien timeline. Interesting idea btw, hmmmm... *goes off to her secret place to think*