"If anyone is to go to Mirkwood this year, it will be only Estel. I cannot spare the two of you in such dangerous times." Elrond sat at his desk writing, but he listened to his sons as he did so.

"If it is so dangerous, we should not send him alone," Elladan protested. "We can escort him, come back at the end and escort him home if you wish, but I would not trust his safety with just anyone."

"Are you sure it is wise to leave him there alone?" Elrohir referred tacitly to Estel's new moody nature that seemed to be a side effect of adolescence.

"I do not see how that will impair his judgement, and Legolas will be there to keep him safe as well. Besides, I do not see how he can get in as much trouble as some of my other children." The twins exchanged glances.

Elladan coughed. "How did you know?"

"First of all, I guessed that you wouldn't have been riding through the forest. I am sure no horse would obey you there, it would likely just bolt, so that was an obvious lie. You could not have broken your leg in the halls unless you managed to trip over yourself or somehow fell off a bridge several feet, even yards below. You do not possess enough clumsiness for that, and even if you did you would have at least had some other injury.

"From that I guessed that you broke your leg in the forest, yes, but not on a horse. I know for sure that Thranduil would never have let his son outside, at that time, so it would have been against his will. Yet he lied on your behalf.

"These next ideas were a bit of a stretch. Why would he lie to me? Because Legolas wanted it. Why would Legolas respect you enough to care whether you got in trouble? The only way I can think of is if you had to fight something or someone. The only talent you had over others your age at that time was in combat. And it is also deeply impressive as well as bonding for those who fought together. It is most likely that you fought the spiders since those are most prevalent in that forest. Is all I said correct?"

His sons shared openmouthed expressions, fish-like. "Yes," Elladan managed, almost dejectedly.

"But Adar, I suggested it," Elrohir added in defense of his brother.

"I assumed as much. You have always been more impulsive and willing to break rules." Elrohir looked properly contrite. "So I am guessing that Estel will have more discernment than the two of you, by what I know of him. You would like to see your friend the prince, yes? I will allow you two to travel there with Estel and stay overnight. When you bring him home you may also rest there until the morning. Is that adequate?"

"Yes Ada," Elladan said. Elrond engrossed himself in his documents, and that was their cue to leave.

The twins had an emergency meeting in their room. "Do you think he knows about that time we accidentally turned the Captain of the Guard's hair blue because we made him a medicine to stop balding and it had unintended side effects?"

"Or that time we had breakfast with the king and queen and I accidentally spilled my wine all over the queen?" This, of course, was Elrohir

"What if he finds out that I wrote fake love poems between random elves and sent them?"

"That was you? I thought you were just reading the whole time!" They grinned at each other.

"He did not punish us too badly, but I would not tell him anything in case he does decide to."

"Ah, but if no one knows what we did, what is the point?"

"You don't want him to know about that time you hid in an empty barrel of wine and fell asleep when we were playing hide and seek. You nearly got to Dale!"

Elrohir shuddered. "Swimming is for fishes, not for me. Yes, you are right, we should not tell anyone." He got a gleam in his eye. "Maybe we can try the hair medicine on Glorfindel. That would be great fun."

"Perhaps some other time. I, for one, do not wish to face the wrath of an angry Balrog Slayer. I think he may be more vain about his hair than Thranduil." Elladan grew thoughtful. "I wonder if we fulfilled the purpose we were sent for the first time around."

"What was that?"

"Thranduil said it was too dark in the forest for Legolas, and we were to be lights. I'd rather say we were bad influences."

"That may have been the point. He was much too high strung, conscientious rule. No child should be like that, confined like a bird to a cage. I do not see that our influence made him too rash, so it turned out well enough in the end."

"Well enough for what, I wonder? What role will all of us play against the encroaching tide of darkness?"

I don't really think this is a good ending, but I shall leave it at that. Please leave a comment on your way out :-)