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The Hangover
The next morning, Legolas woke with a blinding headache. He felt slightly less hard-done-by when he saw that Tathar and Brethilríl also suffered, and the three sullenly made their way to the breakfast hall, having wrapped cloth around their heads to attempt to block out noise. With relief, they found that a quiet courtyard had been reserved for the newly graduated Elves, and they entered a scene of despair.
Alassë, Brethildíl and Aldanna moaned and clutched their heads, not even looking at the food piled on a side table. Orophin, and Lindir were making a much braver attempt to eat breakfast, though they only had managed a small amount of food each. Ithilran and Rumil seemed the worst off, and they finally admitted to drinking two full mugs, in a hare-brained attempt to beat each other.
It was some time later, when they had all managed to eat something, that a number of Elves entered the courtyard. Legolas melted into his father's embrace, and vaguely realised that his comrades were receiving the same treatment from their own parents.
"Every single time," Celeborn muttered, gently patting Rumil on the back. "The first day they are allowed to drink whatever they like, and the older Elves suggest that silly game."
"I don't know how they managed it," Elrond added quietly, from where he comforted Ithilran, whom he had adopted after his parents had been slain. "I was so careful to make sure that no-one had access to the stuff all year."
"I imagine they've been planning it all year," Thranduil commented wryly. "That was strong, and it knocked the young ones out far sooner than the usual brew."
Legolas tucked his aching head into his father's shoulder, not even caring that he was acting like an injured child. All around him, his friends and peers did the same.
Aldanna buried her head into her mother's neck, unknowingly mimicking her cousin.
Tathar, curled up in Neldororn's comforting arms, mumbled incoherently. His father gently shushed him, and there they waited for the hangovers to fade.
"What have we learnt from today?" Silivren sternly asked, a few hours later, when the new graduates finally stirred for want of food.
Aldanna hung her head, not meeting her mother's eyes. "Well?" The bodyguard restated her question, and Aldanna mumbled her answer.
"Don't drink anything if you don't know where it comes from."
"And let that be a lesson learnt."