ONE WEEK AFTER ARAGORN ARRIVED
Eldarion leant back against the headboard of his bed watching as his uncles set up a trap.
"No Elrohir, that's supposed to be there." Elladan said snatching a piece of rope from him
"No it's yours that's supposed to go there." Elrohir said snatching the rope back
"Isn't."
"Is."
"No."
"Yes."
"Daro!" Eldarion called from the bed "if you can't just put the rope somewhere, then the trap will not be complete for, for whatever you wanted to put it my room for."
The twins looked at each other and shrugged. After a tense couple of minutes studying the trap Elladan cleared his throat. "Elrohir, I'm sorry it is actually my rope that should be there and yours here."
"Apology accepted. Here." He replied handing his end of the rope to his twin
The twins finished tying up ropes to complete setting the trap and stood back to admire their work.
"Now, when ada or Glorfy, possibly Estel, decide to enter the room they'll slide on the oil in the door way and get themselves caught in our web of honey coated ropes." Elladan said slumping into a chair next to Eldarion
"What if someone else decided to enter the room?" Eldarion questioned
"Well, they would end up in the trap." Elrohir said slumping onto Elladan
"Get off me. So do you want to do anything Eldarion?"
"I want to go outside, Elladan," Eldarion replied looking out the large balcony window "but I'm not allowed out of my bed. Also ada and Elrond say that if I move around to much then I could potentially relapse like last week."
"They are not wrong. But you want to go outside?" Elrohir said quirking an eyebrow at the prince
"If I may. Or at least get out of this bed."
The twins exchanged a glance and then got out of the chair beside their nephew. They put Eldarion into the armchair, lifted a side each and carried it onto the balcony.
Eldarion was amazed. The beauty of the hidden valley was incredible. The water falls were a wonder to him as he had never seen a water fall before, the flowers all perfectly arranged in neatly organised rows and the way everything seemed to absorb the sun light.
"It's beautiful." Eldarion whispered after five minutes studying the hidden valley
"It is nephew isn't it?" Elrohir said
"I think we should take you back inside. Ada will probably be here to give you the medicine soon." Elladan stated looking at the Suns point in the sky
"Fine." Eldarion mumbled crossing his arms over his chest. He wanted to be outside longer.
Once again the twins lifted Eldarion and the chair from the ground and placed it back beside the bed. They also put Eldarion back in his bed and watched as his head turned to the balcony with a longing expression. As predicted hey head Elrond's footsteps approach the door with the almost inaudible balrog slayer by his side. The twins smiled like Devils as the door handle was turned and the first target stepped onto the oil.
Glorfindel slid on the oil, almost loosing his balance and continued to slide across the floor, stopping just before the ropes. Elrond was half a step behind also slipping in the oil and knocking Glorfindel into the web of ropes to stop himself. The older Elven lords stepped off of the oil after they had regained their balance and walked carefully across the room towards the bed.
Elladan and Elrohir couldn't help but burst into laughter. Glorfindel had honey stripes across his robe, face and hair. Elrond on the other hand had his hair nicely disheveled and untidiy. Both elder lords looked like they crawled out from under a bush after steeling honey from angry bees.
"You two will meet me in my office in two hours." Elrond said gesturing to the twins "clean all of this up before someone gets hurt."
The twins got up from the chair and walked to the trap that they had set. Only to be halted by the balrog slayer.
"Good morning elrondions, come give uncle Glorfy a hug." Glorfindel said sweeping both twins into his arms getting them as messy as possible in the process. Both twins fought to get out of the older elves grasp and only succeeded once they were sufficiently covered in honey as well. They turned identical expressions of disgust to their former mentor and continued toward their trap
"How are you this morning Eldarion?" Elrond asked approaching the bed with Glorfindel a half step behind
"I'm fine thank you hir nin, how are you?" Eldarion said casually watching Elrond
"Good, now about the fine, elaborate please."
"Well, I feel fine." Eldarion said. He really couldn't be bothered coming up with an answer. Also he would have to answer his father when he decided to show up.
"Well, if you feel so fine, you wouldn't have a problem with me examining you fully on this fine morning, would you?" Elrond said raising an eyebrow
"No problems at all." Eldarion said watching the balrog slayer leap towards the door just before Aragorn slipped into the twins trap
"Thank you Glorfindel. Good morning ion nin, ada, gwadors," he said cheerily changing into a menacing tone whilst greeting the twins "what's happening this morning?"
"The trouble makers have just declared war, your son says he's fine and Elrond was just about to check his theory." Glorfindel replied
"Awww, Glorfy, just because you fell into the trap means that war has started." Elladan said
"Just because you now have honey all over yourself and smeared it on us means you have to exagerate." Elrohir finished
"Just because the two of you can't seem to control yourselves and deem it necessary to prank our dear uncle Glorfy means you should," Aragorn said approaching the bed "oh who am I kidding, as long as Eldarion doesn't get hurt in your madness I don't care."
Eldarion and Elrond just watched the exchange quietly. After Glorfindel excused himself and the twins went back to cleaning did Aragorn and Elrond start quizzing the prince.
"How do you feel?" Aragorn asked seeing if what Glorfindel had said was true
"Fine."
"Can you use more than just one word?" Elrond asked
"Yes. I feel fine." Eldarion said smugly at his father's and grandfathers dismayed looks
"Let's just get this under way as somebody is not much help." Elrond said gesturing to the prince
Elrond checked Eldarion's vitals as was the usual protocol whenever the prince received his medication. This time though he unwound the bandages and splints from Eldarion's right arm prodding the break sight gently.
"Does your arm pain you ever?" Elrond asked looking the prince in the eyes
"Not often. Only if I knock it or lay on top of it." He responded calmly
Elrond nodded and rewound a clean bandage around the princes arm with smaller splints. He then went down and unwound the support bandage on Eldarion's left ankle, prodding it gently, as well as rotating the joint. "Does your ankle hurt when I move it?"
"No, not really. It's only minor discomfort because it hasn't been used for some time. It only hurts if I put my full weight on it." Eldarion replied
Elrond nodded again and rewound a clean support bandage around the ankle. He then straitened out and walked towards the head of the bed. "You know the drill, shirt off."
Eldarion complied pulling his shirt off by himself until it got hooked onto the bandage. "I think I got it stuck."
"Yes ion nin, you did." Aragorn said helping to remove the shirt completely, smiling
"Do any of your ribs hurt?" Elrond asked as he began prodding the ribs checking if they were healing correctly
"If I don't get the pain relieving herbs or if I wriggle around to much."
"Aha." Elrond said continuing to examine the prince. He finished checking his ribs and went to listen to the princes chest. He could barely contain the smile that broke out on his face as he stood up. He looked at Aragorn and nodded and watched as his youngest went off to prepare the tea
"So?" Eldarion asked wrapping his right arm around his chest
"Well, your arm is healing nicely but will require splinting for five weeks or so longer, your ribs are all in alignment as well. Your ankle is mostly healed but I would like to keep it supported for the next two weeks. The build up of extra fluid between your chest lining and lungs has reduced, and now all we are dealing with is a mild case of pneumonia. You are allowed out of your bed, if and only if, you have somebody that goes with you at all times. Also you are not aloud to run or to leave the grounds. Any questions?"
"I can be in the company of anyone that I wish right?" Eldarion asked looking to the twins that had just finished mopping up the last of the oil
"Yes, as long as you do not over do it. If you mean to choose the twins as company I advise you to take your father and ditch all three immediately should they decide to prank someone."
"Okay. Now when am I aloud to leave my bed?"
"As soon as you drink this." Aragorn said handing a mug of warmish liquid to his son
"But ada, Elrond has had to literally force it down my throat for the past week and I'm sick of it."
"Oh, but you don't understand that this is a different tea. It has fewer herbs in it and will only lesson the effects of the pneumonia and pain. Not fight it completely like the other one. Your body has healed enough to fight off the illness now." Aragorn countered
"Fine." Eldarion said taking the mug and downing the contents " you know that, that isn't so bad."
"I'm glad you think so, because you will still take it every two hours like the other one." Elrond said handing Eldarion his shirt back
This caused Eldarion to frown slightly but he then hoped out of the bed carefully after pulling on the shirt. As he stood he experimented with how much weight he could put on his injured ankle. Once he was certain he could walk, he walked to the balcony. Once he was out side he looked over the fair Elven haven. The sun was still relatively low so it was before noon. Eldarion felt as his father came and stood beside him but didn't say anything, so busy was he consuming the sight.
"It is beautiful, is it not?" The king said breaking the silence
"Yes, it is beautiful," Eldarion breathed turning and facing his father "Ada..."
"Yes ion nin?" The king said facing his son
"I'm sorry." Eldarion said turning away once more
"What for?" The king said turning Eldarion's face towards his once more
"For, for getting injured," Eldarion said struggling to keep tears at bay "if I had not be so careless I would have been in the wilds now. I was stupid and tripped on a root Adar, a root! That resulted in me falling down a cliff, and then there was a rock slide, and then I was in a river. If I had not been where I was or if Elladan and Elrohir were not returning to Imladris I would be dead! Adar, and because I was injured you had to come here and I'm an inconvenience. When I was eight I injured myself badly for the first time and made you and Naneth so worried, now I've done it again. All of this now is my fault and I'm sorry."
"Come here ion nin." The king said pulling his son into a warm embrace whispering in his ear "what happened is not entirely your fault. Celebarnor bolted and you went to see why." Aragorn pulled away a bit and looked into his sons grey eyes "You didn't see the root and it was an accident. The rocky downslope you tumbled down first would have been enough to kill you but you lived, and the cliff and second rock slide were unfortunate, but it was not your fault. And then yes the Bruinen washed you to the borders of Imladris, but I am glad it washed you there. You could have been killed in any one of those events leading up to getting to the borders, and you could of died on the way here from the borders. The twins rode there horses at full speed for four hours without rest just to get you here, okay. It was not your fault."
"If I was paying attention I wouldn't have tripped on the root." Eldarion mumbled pulling away from his father completely to gaze at the valley once more.
"And if you didn't trip over the route you probably never would have seen the hidden valley. You also would not know Glorfy and the twins or Elrond unless they decided to visit us." The king said gazing over his former home."
"Still." Eldarion replied quietly
Just after the conversation ended the clean balrog slayer walked out onto the balcony. He didn't say anything to the king and prince, but stood next to the doorway watching the mountains in the distance. Eldarion continued looking over the valley ignoring the new arrival. He tried to see what it was Glorfindel was looking at but saw nothing. Aragorn turned to the Elven lord and smiled.
"You really were stuck in the twins trap weren't you Glorfy?" The king teased
"I was not stuck in it Estel, I was merely caught in the ropes." Glorfindel replied
"That's what anyone pranked by the twins says." Aragorn said draping his arm around the elf
"And what of the times when people got stuck in the traps you and the wood elf set up?" Glorfindel asked raising a blonde eyebrow
"Those times were different as Legolas and I did it only when a prank war broke out."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
"Estel?"
"Mostly."
"There you go." Glorfindel said parting the king on the head "Now prince, I was wondering if there is anything you would like to do instead of stand on your balcony all day?"
"That would be nice. Do you have any suggestions?" Eldarion said turning around and facing the balrog slayer
"Go and browse the library. You shouldn't do anything to strenuous."
"Thank you, my lord." Eldarion said bowing lightly and turning around again to admire the valley
"Well I should take my leave, I have some work to complete." Glorfindel said walking back into Eldarion's room and back through the halls to his office
"Would you like to come to the library ada?" Eldarion asked leaving the balcony
"Sure. Have you met Erestor?" Aragorn said walking next to his son
"Not as such."
"What do you mean, not as such?"
"I hid in a closet with the twins the day before you arrived. Erestor entered and collected a few items noticing that we were in the closet."
"Oh. It was the closet with spare parchment and ink wasn't it?"
"How did you know?"
"It's one of the best hiding places in Imladris. Only Erestor opens that closet."
"But then you can't move anything apparently. The twins say he knows."
"He does."
Father and son continued through the halls talking quietly. Once they reached the library they stepped into the large room. The room was full of books and scrolls all neatly packed into shelves. Erestor had his desk in a front corner with neatly arranged stacks of books he was rebinding. There was also a table in a back corner where the library's visitors could read. Eldarion and Aragorn spent the remainder of the day pouring over old scrolls and maps from before the fourth age. Only when Erestor had to shove them out the door to eat their evening meal, did they stop reading.
Elvish used
daro - stop
hir nin - my lord
ada - dad/daddy
gwadors - sworn brothers
ion nin - my son
AN - I won't be able to post for a couple of weeks. Sorry