Post by Móreadhiel on Jun 13, 2006 16:26:31 GMT -5
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that day
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas sat straight up with a start. Frowning...and yawning...the blonde elf made his way to his window, sure that he had heard something.
On the other side of Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir sprang out of bed and headed for Legolas and Aragorn's rooms. They too had heard it. They met Legolas at the window, and together they all looked in the direction they had heard the sound.
There it was again...a shriek?
The twins exchanged glances. "That's Ada's scream," they said in unison. "And he's not in Rivendell proper."
Legolas winced and glanced at the bed where Aragorn still lay sleeping...with a thick down pillow over his head. Rolling his eyes, the elf stomped over to his friend and yanked the pillow off. When that only produced a moan and a rollover, Legolas snatched up the half-full glass of water left beside Aragorn's bed and carefully began pouring it into his friend's exposed ear.
Almost half of the water was in the ranger's ear when he finally began stirring out of his very deep sleep. He felt something wet in his ear and absently rolled over, shaking his head to shake out the water. In his dreams, rain had fallen and dripped into his ear, so he thought nothing of it...until a cold splash of water on his face hit, followed shortly afterwards by a sharp shaking of his shoulders.
"Estel! Wake up, you tom-fool human!" Legolas' face was very close to Aragorn's as he shouted the words at his friend.
Aragorn jerked upright, nearly catching Legolas in the chin with his forehead. Luckily for Legolas, he had seen that coming and pulled back quickly.
"What? What's wrong?" Legolas had only seen his friend like this once before...when he had raided the wine cellars of Mirkwood and drank most of his booty at once. Legolas had had to drag Aragorn, who was singing loudly and badly off-tune, to the river that ran under the palace and duck him several times. That didn't help much; now he had a wet, angry drunk on his hands. Tying him to his bed was the only thing that made Aragorn stay in one place long enough to fall asleep. When he woke up, he had the world's worst hangover, but he didn't remember any of the events of the night before.
Remembering that, Legolas frowned and smelled the water still in the cup. His senses rebelled at the strong smell of herbs. He didn't even have to ask the twins, who were both experienced healers, what herbs they were. Elrond had used them on the prince many times. They were the strongest sleeping herbs in Middle-earth. "Ah Estel...it seems as if your father got the jump on us for pranks," he murmured softly.
"Whatdya mean? Oh...my head hurts..." Aragorn moaned and held his head.
Elladan, who had been watching the whole thing, remarked, "Suddenly I do not feel so bad about catching Ada in that contraption of ours."
"Speaking of which..." Elrohir prodded. "We should go help him down. Otherwise..." He drew a line with his forefinger across his white throat, clearly indicating that they would all die.
"You're right," Legolas sighed, manhandling Aragorn out of bed.
Getting dressed in their normal attire, the four set out for the area where they had set the trap. Elladan, who was in the lead, froze when he came within seeing-distance of the trap. After running into the older twin, the others looked in the direction he was staring in.and all froze in shock.
Elrond was indeed in the trap. But he wasn't alone. Glorfindel, his golden hair spilling out the side of the trap, was there as well...and to everyone's shock, Celeborn, Lord of Lothlorien, was there as well, his natural dignity somewhat spoiled. All three were so tangled that they couldn't even dream of getting to a sharp object, and they were all hollering at two riders at the edge of the clearing.
Legolas' eyes were drawn to these riders...and recognized them seconds before a calm, dignified voice said in his mind, "Hello, Legolas Thrandulion."
"Varda in Valinor!" Elladan squeaked, also recognizing the riders. "Grandmother Galadriel! Arwen!"
The second person named removed her hood, and Aragorn stared at her, no earthly good to anyone at the moment.
"So, when are you orc-spawns planning on getting us down?!" Glorfindel yelped, renewing his struggle with the net.
Elrond ordered, "Glorfindel, remain still. You are kicking me in the stomach, and it hurts. They will get us down soon...or risk instant death."
Aragorn called at his father, drawing closer, "You drugged my water, didn't you?"
Elrond smiled a patented innocent smile...that didn't fool Aragorn one bit. "Did I? I cannot remember. Being caught in a net does something to spoil my memory."
Legolas forcibly restrained his friend, as he attempted to walk closer to the trap. They had set up smaller booby traps close to the net, and Legolas was not interested in cutting Aragorn down.
Meanwhile, the twins walked over to their sister and grandmother. "What are you two--no, three, doing here?" Elladan asked. "We had not heard you were planning to visit."
Galadriel smiled her graceful smile and replied, "We had planned with your father to visit last month. Did he not tell you?"
"No." The twins spoke in unison.
"That is a shame." Arwen's clear, pretty voice cut through to Aragorn's mind and he stopped struggling against Legolas. "But perhaps you should cut them down so we can get on with a pleasant visit."
Half-entranced, Aragorn slipped out of Legolas' firm hold and headed for the net, knife in hand.
"ESTEL!" The twins and Legolas all hollered the human's name in unison. It was too late.
A rope tightened around the human's feet, catching him up and flinging him through the trees. Moments later, the elves could hear the Doplering sound of Aragorn's scream returning to solid ground. Even from far away, the elves all flinched.
"He screams loud, doesn't he?" Elladan commented to Legolas.
"You don't know the half of it," Legolas muttered, curling into a fetal position and covering his ears. He knew just how loud the human was at close range.
"Did we ever tell him about that particular trap?" asked Elrohir, inching closer to his twin and friend.
Elladan and Legolas exchanged looks, Legolas' guilty and Elladan's mischievous. "No," they answered in unison. Elladan added, "He was asleep! There was no reason to tell him!"
Aragorn bounced at the end of the rope, feeling dizzy on top of having a massive headache. "Ok," he finally gasped, "I have been threatened, drugged, and flung through trees...are all of you even with me now?"
All of the male elves in the clearing exchanged glances. As one, they replied, "No."
Arwen sighed gustily, the mischief shining through her grey eyes as she turned toward the woods. "Haldir, you had best come help Ada, Glorfindel, Estel and Grandfather down. I do not think the twins and Legolas can get it alone."
Bored and irritated, Aragorn thrust his body back and forth, making the rope swing. He began humming, then singing loudly, an old children's tune. It was akin to "The song that never ends."
Glorfindel groaned and said to the male elves approaching the net carefully, "Can you hurry? Estel is a good boy...but he can't sing!"
Aragorn interrupted his song long enough to say sharply to Glorfindel, "Shut up."
Elrond's grey eyes blazed as he glared at Aragorn. He took a deep breath...and launched into his lecture about respecting your elders. Aragorn had heard this lecture so many times he could recite it by memory, which he began to do.
Legolas groaned and covered his ears...again.
As Aragorn swung back and forth, reciting the lecture, the knots were beginning to fray. They had never been intended to hold up quite that much weight.
When Elrond...and Aragorn...got to the part about, "He has seen much more of life than you, young human, will ever see," the knot broke completely, flinging Estel to the ground. He landed on his shoulder with a sickening crunch of bones and a yelp of pain.
"Estel!" Legolas called, carefully picking his way through the springs. He whipped out a long knife and slashed one rope...the rope that held up Elrond, Glorfindel and Celeborn.
There were several screams and a loud thud. Legolas ignored all of them; his destination was the human, curled painfully on his side.
Elrond got up quickly and raced to Estel's side, anger overwhelmed by concern for his human son. His long fingers prodded the shoulder, and felt several broken bones as Aragorn tried to struggle under him. Legolas had to practically lie down on the human to make him remain still while Elrond checked the boy.
Haldir, on a white horse beside Arwen's grey mare, shook his head slowly and muttered something about idiotic humans.
Aragorn, catching the gist of Haldir's words, painfully began singing the irritating children's song through his teeth. Haldir started forward, but Arwen stopped him. "We do not know if there are any other traps set out there," she said softly, "and I would not see your horse get a broken leg because of you."
Haldir glared daggers at the female elf, but held his peace.
Elrond rolled his eyes at the young human and reached into a small bag that he always carried...particularly when Legolas was visiting Aragorn. He withdrew a small vial, and Aragorn's eyes widened when he saw it. "Aw, come on, Ada, I can walk, you don't need to drug me again."
"You may think you can walk, youngling, but I know you cannot. Hold still." Forestalling Aragorn's protest, Elrond quickly waved the vial under the human's nose.
"I've walked...with eight broken ribs...and a twisted ankle..." Aragorn's voice started slurring in response to the strong odor. "And....you think...I can't...walk..." and he began snoring.
Legolas flinched inwardly. 'Lovely, Aragorn, give away every secret we have,' he grumbled silently.
Elrond shot the blonde elf a look, and Legolas instantly put on an expression of absolute innocence. "When we get back, I expect to hear this story, young one." Elrond growled with mock anger.
Glorfindel and Celeborn were still sitting in the folds of the net, not daring to get up for fear of tripping yet another trap. Elladan and Elrohir glanced at them and walked toward them casually, slashing at half-hidden ropes on the way. Trap after trap sprung, flinging leaves and other forest debris around, but the elven twins kept walking calmly toward the blonde elf and the silver-headed elf.
After a while, they reached the sitting elves and offered them a hand up. Instead of accepting the help, Glorfindel swept his legs out, tripping both twins. They landed on their backs with a collective yelp of surprise.
Celeborn broke up the small fight, and had the twins help their father get Aragorn ready to go back to Rivendell.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later...
~~~~~~~~~~~
Four chairs had been set up in the Hall of Fire and everyone except the four pranksters, the two elf lords, Galadriel and Glorfindel had been banished from that area for a time...though Arwen was sitting in a cubbyhole, listening.
From left to right, Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, and Aragorn, his arm still in a sling, sat guiltily in the chairs listening to the lectures. If they had thought Elrond by himself was bad...try adding the Lord of Lothlorien and the Marchwarden of Rivendell.
Legolas leaned over slightly and whispered to Aragorn, "Think they'll stop any time soon?"
Aragorn thought for a moment, and then replied in a barely audible whisper, "Perhaps ten years after I'm dead."
The End
By: Vanalosswen on www.councilofelrond.com
Later that day
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas sat straight up with a start. Frowning...and yawning...the blonde elf made his way to his window, sure that he had heard something.
On the other side of Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir sprang out of bed and headed for Legolas and Aragorn's rooms. They too had heard it. They met Legolas at the window, and together they all looked in the direction they had heard the sound.
There it was again...a shriek?
The twins exchanged glances. "That's Ada's scream," they said in unison. "And he's not in Rivendell proper."
Legolas winced and glanced at the bed where Aragorn still lay sleeping...with a thick down pillow over his head. Rolling his eyes, the elf stomped over to his friend and yanked the pillow off. When that only produced a moan and a rollover, Legolas snatched up the half-full glass of water left beside Aragorn's bed and carefully began pouring it into his friend's exposed ear.
Almost half of the water was in the ranger's ear when he finally began stirring out of his very deep sleep. He felt something wet in his ear and absently rolled over, shaking his head to shake out the water. In his dreams, rain had fallen and dripped into his ear, so he thought nothing of it...until a cold splash of water on his face hit, followed shortly afterwards by a sharp shaking of his shoulders.
"Estel! Wake up, you tom-fool human!" Legolas' face was very close to Aragorn's as he shouted the words at his friend.
Aragorn jerked upright, nearly catching Legolas in the chin with his forehead. Luckily for Legolas, he had seen that coming and pulled back quickly.
"What? What's wrong?" Legolas had only seen his friend like this once before...when he had raided the wine cellars of Mirkwood and drank most of his booty at once. Legolas had had to drag Aragorn, who was singing loudly and badly off-tune, to the river that ran under the palace and duck him several times. That didn't help much; now he had a wet, angry drunk on his hands. Tying him to his bed was the only thing that made Aragorn stay in one place long enough to fall asleep. When he woke up, he had the world's worst hangover, but he didn't remember any of the events of the night before.
Remembering that, Legolas frowned and smelled the water still in the cup. His senses rebelled at the strong smell of herbs. He didn't even have to ask the twins, who were both experienced healers, what herbs they were. Elrond had used them on the prince many times. They were the strongest sleeping herbs in Middle-earth. "Ah Estel...it seems as if your father got the jump on us for pranks," he murmured softly.
"Whatdya mean? Oh...my head hurts..." Aragorn moaned and held his head.
Elladan, who had been watching the whole thing, remarked, "Suddenly I do not feel so bad about catching Ada in that contraption of ours."
"Speaking of which..." Elrohir prodded. "We should go help him down. Otherwise..." He drew a line with his forefinger across his white throat, clearly indicating that they would all die.
"You're right," Legolas sighed, manhandling Aragorn out of bed.
Getting dressed in their normal attire, the four set out for the area where they had set the trap. Elladan, who was in the lead, froze when he came within seeing-distance of the trap. After running into the older twin, the others looked in the direction he was staring in.and all froze in shock.
Elrond was indeed in the trap. But he wasn't alone. Glorfindel, his golden hair spilling out the side of the trap, was there as well...and to everyone's shock, Celeborn, Lord of Lothlorien, was there as well, his natural dignity somewhat spoiled. All three were so tangled that they couldn't even dream of getting to a sharp object, and they were all hollering at two riders at the edge of the clearing.
Legolas' eyes were drawn to these riders...and recognized them seconds before a calm, dignified voice said in his mind, "Hello, Legolas Thrandulion."
"Varda in Valinor!" Elladan squeaked, also recognizing the riders. "Grandmother Galadriel! Arwen!"
The second person named removed her hood, and Aragorn stared at her, no earthly good to anyone at the moment.
"So, when are you orc-spawns planning on getting us down?!" Glorfindel yelped, renewing his struggle with the net.
Elrond ordered, "Glorfindel, remain still. You are kicking me in the stomach, and it hurts. They will get us down soon...or risk instant death."
Aragorn called at his father, drawing closer, "You drugged my water, didn't you?"
Elrond smiled a patented innocent smile...that didn't fool Aragorn one bit. "Did I? I cannot remember. Being caught in a net does something to spoil my memory."
Legolas forcibly restrained his friend, as he attempted to walk closer to the trap. They had set up smaller booby traps close to the net, and Legolas was not interested in cutting Aragorn down.
Meanwhile, the twins walked over to their sister and grandmother. "What are you two--no, three, doing here?" Elladan asked. "We had not heard you were planning to visit."
Galadriel smiled her graceful smile and replied, "We had planned with your father to visit last month. Did he not tell you?"
"No." The twins spoke in unison.
"That is a shame." Arwen's clear, pretty voice cut through to Aragorn's mind and he stopped struggling against Legolas. "But perhaps you should cut them down so we can get on with a pleasant visit."
Half-entranced, Aragorn slipped out of Legolas' firm hold and headed for the net, knife in hand.
"ESTEL!" The twins and Legolas all hollered the human's name in unison. It was too late.
A rope tightened around the human's feet, catching him up and flinging him through the trees. Moments later, the elves could hear the Doplering sound of Aragorn's scream returning to solid ground. Even from far away, the elves all flinched.
"He screams loud, doesn't he?" Elladan commented to Legolas.
"You don't know the half of it," Legolas muttered, curling into a fetal position and covering his ears. He knew just how loud the human was at close range.
"Did we ever tell him about that particular trap?" asked Elrohir, inching closer to his twin and friend.
Elladan and Legolas exchanged looks, Legolas' guilty and Elladan's mischievous. "No," they answered in unison. Elladan added, "He was asleep! There was no reason to tell him!"
Aragorn bounced at the end of the rope, feeling dizzy on top of having a massive headache. "Ok," he finally gasped, "I have been threatened, drugged, and flung through trees...are all of you even with me now?"
All of the male elves in the clearing exchanged glances. As one, they replied, "No."
Arwen sighed gustily, the mischief shining through her grey eyes as she turned toward the woods. "Haldir, you had best come help Ada, Glorfindel, Estel and Grandfather down. I do not think the twins and Legolas can get it alone."
Bored and irritated, Aragorn thrust his body back and forth, making the rope swing. He began humming, then singing loudly, an old children's tune. It was akin to "The song that never ends."
Glorfindel groaned and said to the male elves approaching the net carefully, "Can you hurry? Estel is a good boy...but he can't sing!"
Aragorn interrupted his song long enough to say sharply to Glorfindel, "Shut up."
Elrond's grey eyes blazed as he glared at Aragorn. He took a deep breath...and launched into his lecture about respecting your elders. Aragorn had heard this lecture so many times he could recite it by memory, which he began to do.
Legolas groaned and covered his ears...again.
As Aragorn swung back and forth, reciting the lecture, the knots were beginning to fray. They had never been intended to hold up quite that much weight.
When Elrond...and Aragorn...got to the part about, "He has seen much more of life than you, young human, will ever see," the knot broke completely, flinging Estel to the ground. He landed on his shoulder with a sickening crunch of bones and a yelp of pain.
"Estel!" Legolas called, carefully picking his way through the springs. He whipped out a long knife and slashed one rope...the rope that held up Elrond, Glorfindel and Celeborn.
There were several screams and a loud thud. Legolas ignored all of them; his destination was the human, curled painfully on his side.
Elrond got up quickly and raced to Estel's side, anger overwhelmed by concern for his human son. His long fingers prodded the shoulder, and felt several broken bones as Aragorn tried to struggle under him. Legolas had to practically lie down on the human to make him remain still while Elrond checked the boy.
Haldir, on a white horse beside Arwen's grey mare, shook his head slowly and muttered something about idiotic humans.
Aragorn, catching the gist of Haldir's words, painfully began singing the irritating children's song through his teeth. Haldir started forward, but Arwen stopped him. "We do not know if there are any other traps set out there," she said softly, "and I would not see your horse get a broken leg because of you."
Haldir glared daggers at the female elf, but held his peace.
Elrond rolled his eyes at the young human and reached into a small bag that he always carried...particularly when Legolas was visiting Aragorn. He withdrew a small vial, and Aragorn's eyes widened when he saw it. "Aw, come on, Ada, I can walk, you don't need to drug me again."
"You may think you can walk, youngling, but I know you cannot. Hold still." Forestalling Aragorn's protest, Elrond quickly waved the vial under the human's nose.
"I've walked...with eight broken ribs...and a twisted ankle..." Aragorn's voice started slurring in response to the strong odor. "And....you think...I can't...walk..." and he began snoring.
Legolas flinched inwardly. 'Lovely, Aragorn, give away every secret we have,' he grumbled silently.
Elrond shot the blonde elf a look, and Legolas instantly put on an expression of absolute innocence. "When we get back, I expect to hear this story, young one." Elrond growled with mock anger.
Glorfindel and Celeborn were still sitting in the folds of the net, not daring to get up for fear of tripping yet another trap. Elladan and Elrohir glanced at them and walked toward them casually, slashing at half-hidden ropes on the way. Trap after trap sprung, flinging leaves and other forest debris around, but the elven twins kept walking calmly toward the blonde elf and the silver-headed elf.
After a while, they reached the sitting elves and offered them a hand up. Instead of accepting the help, Glorfindel swept his legs out, tripping both twins. They landed on their backs with a collective yelp of surprise.
Celeborn broke up the small fight, and had the twins help their father get Aragorn ready to go back to Rivendell.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later...
~~~~~~~~~~~
Four chairs had been set up in the Hall of Fire and everyone except the four pranksters, the two elf lords, Galadriel and Glorfindel had been banished from that area for a time...though Arwen was sitting in a cubbyhole, listening.
From left to right, Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, and Aragorn, his arm still in a sling, sat guiltily in the chairs listening to the lectures. If they had thought Elrond by himself was bad...try adding the Lord of Lothlorien and the Marchwarden of Rivendell.
Legolas leaned over slightly and whispered to Aragorn, "Think they'll stop any time soon?"
Aragorn thought for a moment, and then replied in a barely audible whisper, "Perhaps ten years after I'm dead."
The End
By: Vanalosswen on www.councilofelrond.com
