The Paradise of Elves – Part 35: Having a Ball

‘Look,’ Elladan nudged his twin.

Among the dancers, a tall blond figure in gold-embroidered green was holding up the hand of a slight elleth in white as they moved elegantly through the practised figures of the dance.

Elrohir grinned.  ‘He is still irresistible to ellyth, even though his wife is standing over there and watching,’ he remarked.  ‘Where did we go wrong, my brother?’  He handed over a tall goblet of heavy red wine.

‘It is as well that Miriwen did not have dancing high on her list of required talents,’ Elladan shook his head.  ‘Or she would never have chosen me.’

‘She seems to have taught your son rather better skills,’ Elrohir said, indicating naneth and son among the dancers.  Elrin was clothed elegantly in blue and silver, with a mithril circlet around his brow, and he seemed to be managing the complex measures of the dance with considerable aplomb.

‘Do you know,’ Elladan replied as he digested the sight, ‘that is really rather humiliating.  I asked her to dance and she turned me down.   I have been rejected for an elfling.’

‘We were not, by any chance, put in charge of our remaining offspring, were we?’ Elrohir asked somewhat nervously.  ‘I would not like to think that we had lost them.’

‘Do not worry so much, my brother,’ Elladan grinned.

‘That is easy for you to say – your son is dancing!’

‘Nimloth is adorning Legolas’s arm and Eleniel is with her Daeradar,’ Elladan observed cheerfully.  ‘Although I must admit that Galenthil and Aewlin appear to be absent.’

They both turned and scanned the room.  ‘We cannot be held responsible for whatever Galenthil is doing,’ Elrohir said hopefully. 

‘I would not count on that,’ his brother replied uneasily.  ‘I wonder where they could have gone.’

An unexpected movement of the heavy damask cloth covering the buffet table caught the edge of Elrohir’s vision.  ‘I think, my brother –,’ he said, nudging his twin and indicating the direction.

They stood and watched as the cloth moved gently.  ‘Do we do anything?’  Elladan asked.

Elrohir paused and considered, his eyes on the elflings’ hiding-place.  ‘I am of the opinion,’ he said slowly, ‘that there is really very little reason why we should not leave them where they are.  After all, if we should choose to go and stand nearby, and we keep a watch on them –.’  He looked at his brother.

‘They really cannot get up to much while they are under a table,’ Elladan concluded with a grin.  ‘Brilliant.’

The dance ended and Legolas bowed to Nimloth before returning her to her naneth. Elladan nudged his twin.  ‘Do you think he is relieved?’ he asked.

‘Are you saying,’ sniffed Elrohir, ‘that merely dancing with my daughter is enough to terrify a trained warrior?’

Elladan stilled and slid an apologetic glance at his brother.

‘You are right,’ Elrohir admitted after a moment, with a sigh.  ‘Even I would be relieved to hand her back safely.’

Legolas moved graciously across the large room, acknowledging the other guests, until he came to a halt before his friends.  ‘Have you seen my son?’ he asked.  ‘Elerrina says he was with Aewlin.’

‘We believe,’ Elladan told him confidentially, ‘that they are secreted beneath the table.  Look, my friend.’  He indicated the bulge in the cloth.  ‘They are keeping delightfully quiet.’

The three of them watched in interest as a small pair of bare feet peeped out before being drawn back into shelter.  A muffled, yet slightly hysterical giggle reached their ears.

‘There is only one thing that occurs to me.  Did you consider what they might have taken under the table with them?’ Legolas enquired anxiously.

They paused, thinking of the range of items available to their elflings.

‘Valar help us!’ Elrohir groaned.  ‘They could have any manner of things.  Perhaps we should intervene.’

‘Or maybe –,’ Legolas remarked, as he observed one of the servers offer a bowl of pastries to a small hand, ‘we should just continue to act as if we were ignorant of their whereabouts.’

Elrohir grinned.  ‘We bow to your wisdom, my friend,’ he said, and raised his glass in acknowledgement.  ‘To ignorance!’