Estel regarded the elven prince through narrowed eyes and debated how to answer.  Honestly, he didn’t feel like being subjected to some ‘story’—one that no doubt was supposed to justify Elrohir’s reactions in the cave.  He simply wasn’t interested in hearing it.  He knew that nothing he could erase the image of Elrohir in that cave.  His brother had been scared.  Just remembering it made him sick.  He shook his head in disgust and turned to walk away, but a sharp voice stopped him.

“Estel, sit down and listen!”

The elven lord’s no-nonsense voice rang through the clearing.  It wasn’t one that Elladan often used on his brothers, but even Elrohir had been known to heed the commanding tone when it was turned on him.  Shocked by the strong voice coming from his injured brother, Estel stopped in his tracks and then, almost against his will, he found himself walking over to the fire and taking a seat by Legolas.

Amused despite the grim situation, Legolas sent an appreciative glance over to Elladan, glad that the other elf had never spoken to him in quite that way.  As a prince in his own lands, he would be under no obligation to obey one of Rivendell’s young lords, but anyone would be hard-pressed to ignore the authoritative tone and he was glad that he had never been put to the test.

Glancing over to satisfy himself that the Elladan was still resting comfortably and hadn’t foolishly tried to get up, Legolas then turned to Estel, his mind shifting to what he should say.

Ignoring his remaining desire to give Estel a tongue lashing he’d never forget, Legolas paused for a moment to collect his thoughts and then began his story, “This takes place many years ago, when I made my first trip to Rivendell with my parents.  Delegations from several of the elven settlements were meeting to discuss signs that a great evil was stirring, although at the time I was unaware of the purpose of the gathering.  I was just a small elfling at the time, so I was simply pleased with the chance to see new lands and to meet the twins, of whom I had heard many interesting things.  I was about…oh, perhaps five or six in human years at the time as were they, for they are but a few months younger than me.  I was filled with anticipation, for warriors who had visited Rivendell related many stories of two rather rambunctious elflings, so I was certain that we would have great fun together.”

The elven prince’s face lightened as he remembered back to the early days of his visit.  “After I met Elladan and Elrohir and had spent just a short time with them, I decided that our warriors had not done them justice…I knew I was skilled at finding trouble, but with the pair of them to constantly prod each other along, there was no end to the mischief they could find.  So, as one who tended to find a bit of mischief myself, after just a short while I knew that I had found two kindred spirits,” he concluded with a grin.

With a warm look for Elladan, Legolas regarded his old friend and nodded, “Aye, we were inseparable from the moment I arrived and I am sure our antics must have driven our parents to distraction, but those weeks formed the core of our friendship—a friendship which has never faltered, even to this day.”

He shook his head slightly and smiled as he remembered some of the things the three of them had done, realizing now just how patient their parents had truly been with the three lively, sometimes naughty elflings. But then came the event that changed the whole nature of his visit.

Legolas’ smile slipped away and he sighed as he looked back at Estel, who at least had lost that angry expression as he listened to the prince’s story with interest.  Legolas knew what Elladan expected him to tell the young man, but this was not one of the memories that he usually liked to reflect upon.  Looking seriously at the dark-haired teenager, Legolas said, “But strong as our fledgling friendship was, we were very young and had a silly argument.  It is that argument that led to the events in my story.  The day started out like the others before it, with three little elflings trying to decide on our plans for the day….”

    ~~~~~~~~~

The royal sons of Rivendell and Greenwood sprawled on the floor in the large room that sat between the twins’ bed chambers.  For days now, it had become a planning center as the three cooked up a series of tiny escapades, as often as not ending up with them in trouble as the unsuspecting inhabitants of Rivendell fell victim to their high-spirited mischief.

Usually the three of them were in perfect accord and would quickly agree with any idea, but on this morning they hit a snag.  Elladan and Legolas were adamant about wanting to watch the warriors practice archery, but Elrohir, having had his fill of scolding recently, was equally determined not to go.

“Elladan, you know we are not allowed in the training grounds without an adult.  We would be in big trouble if we were caught,” warned the younger twin.

“We would only be watching.  No one would see us,” argued his brother impatiently.  Usually he could count on Elrohir to be his enthusiastic partner in whatever he dreamed up, but every once in awhile his brother would think too hard about things, become overly cautious, and then end up just plain obstinate.

“Ada told us last time that we had best not go there again without permission.  You remember how angry he was,” countered Elrohir determinedly.  He wanted to see the archers as well, but someone had to be the voice of reason.

The little blond prince sat between the two, holding his tongue while he waited for Elladan to persuade Elrohir.  He had been the one to propose this idea to the twins, so he, too, was becoming frustrated with Elrohir and wished the younger twin wouldn’t be so hesitant.

“We wouldn’t be caught,” pressed Elladan.

“We might.”

“We can be sneaky.”

“But the warriors might still see us.”

“We could hide in the trees.”

“But the trees talk to the warriors.”

“Elrohir,” finally said Elladan in his most irritating big-brother-to-little-brother kind of voice, “Legolas and I are both older than you and so you just have to trust us now.  Nothing would happen.  We would sneak through the trees and watch the archers from above as they practiced.  No one would catch us and no one would get in trouble, so stop worrying and being such a fusspot!”

Elrohir hated it when his twin treated him like this.  Just because of a quirk of fate, he would always be the “younger” twin.  It wasn’t fair.  He was just as old as Elladan.  Really he was.  And for Elladan to imply that he was acting like some worrisome sissy was adding insult to injury.  Standing up and putting his fists on his hips, he said angrily, “I am not a fusspot.  You’re being stupid.  It is dangerous to go to the practice grounds.  Ada said!”

Elladan stood up, toe-to-toe with his brother, his temper flaring to hear Elrohir call him stupid in front of their friend.  “Ada said…Ada said,” repeated Elladan with a slight sneer.  “You know what you are—an Ada’s boy!”

“Am not!” shouted Elrohir, unable to keep a small touch of hurt from threading its way into his voice.  Why was Elladan faulting him for trying to be good?  Why couldn’t they obey their father and simply find something else to do?  His dark brows scowled as he glared at Elladan, now determined that nothing his brother could say would make him change his mind.

Legolas, seeing that things were fast getting out of hand, stood up and shoved his way between the two.  He gave Elladan a quick look that he hoped would tell the older twin to be quiet for a minute, and then turned to Elrohir and said coaxingly, “Come, Elrohir.  It would be fun and Elladan is right—they would never see us.  We can practice creeping through the trees and no one would ever know we were there.  Imagine sneaking in right over their heads.  We could pretend we were scouts on a patrol, learning our enemy’s strengths.”

The cajoling words might have been enough to persuade Elrohir if he’d been in a better mood, but his pride was still stinging from being called an ‘Ada’s boy’ and he shook his head with a scowl.  “You two go if you want.  I’m staying here.”

“Don’t you want to learn to be a warrior?” Legolas pressed, feeling the same frustration that Elladan often did when seeing that stubborn look on Elrohir’s face.  “In Greenwood, we are taught that warriors take risks.”

“Well, then it is a good thing that I am going to be a warrior for Rivendell,” countered Elrohir, who was suddenly feeling quite picked upon.  “For our warriors are also taught to use their brains!”

Angered by this perceived slight on warriors from his lands, the little prince lost his own temper and was about to explode, but was stopped by Elladan’s hand on his arm. 

“Come, he can stay here and find some elleth to make flower chains if he wants.  We should go now before someone hears us and Elrohir manages to ruin all our fun,” said Elladan, glaring at his twin the whole time he spoke.

Shaking off Elladan’s hand, the angry little prince stared at Elrohir for a moment and then turned away, stalking out of the room in silence.

The twins looked at each other once Legolas left, unsure what to say.  Neither was happy with the way things had transpired, but both were upset and unwilling to make the first gesture.  So after a moment of silence, Elladan turned away and said bitterly, “Have fun by yourself,” before he stalked out of the room.

Elladan and Legolas, of course, were caught by the Imladris Guard long before they got anywhere near the practice fields and the two little elflings, much to their embarrassment, were physically carried back by a couple of tall warriors and then turned over to two sets of extremely angry parents.  The long, stinging lecture that they received left them both suitably chastened and after they were marched back to the twins’ rooms, the subdued elflings quickly and graciously apologized to Elrohir, who was still sitting there, quietly reading a book.

Elrohir, who had been lonely and was brooding about whether or not he should have gone, was only too happy to make up with the others and was careful to not say anything that sounded even remotely like “I told you so.”  He was quietly pleased when his father came in a few minutes later and praised him for using good judgment, but when he was then told to go run outside and play, he tried to politely object.  Elladan and Legolas were to be punished by having to spend the rest of the day in the library listening to some ghastly lesson from the twins’ tutor, and Elrohir decided that he’d rather be stuck inside with them than be sent outside alone.  Elrond, though, was trying to enforce a lesson with the other two, and didn’t think it would be as clear if Elrohir, who hadn’t disobeyed, shared a punishment he hadn’t earned.  Thus, the youngest elf was sent outside to play while Elladan and Legolas glumly went to the library.

Elrohir wandered around by himself for a while, going to all his favorite spots, but he wasn’t in the best of moods and he found them all dull with no one else to share them with.  Sometimes he liked to be alone and think his own quiet thoughts, but right now he was just…bored.  He plopped down on one of the many wooden benches that lined the walkways of the gardens and scowled grumpily, feeling cheated that he had a beautiful day and no one to spend it with.  He crossly decided that he was really the one being punished when he had been trying to be good.

As he sat there, scuffing his feet in the dirt and reflecting on how unfair life could be, he saw two tall boys walk down the path toward him, Johir and Belmandren.  Handsome and fun-loving, the two best friends were very popular with the young elves of Rivendell and could always be counted on to liven up any event.  They were quite a bit older than the twins, however, and were not known for being especially nice to the littlest elves, so although Elrohir had been wishing for company, he was less than happy when he saw who had found him.

“Well…what do we have here?” asked Johir with a grin.  “Or should I say, ‘who’ do we have here?  Which one are you?”

Elrohir was uncomfortable.  Johir and Belmandren certainly looked friendly enough, but the twins had been the subjects of several of their jokes already and the little elf was wary.  Still, he was always one to give people the benefit of the doubt, so he answered quietly, “I am Elrohir.”

“Elrohir?” asked Belmandren, sharing a look with Johir.  “And where is your twin and the little prince?  The three of you have been joined at the hip since the Greenwood delegation arrived.”

“They are in the house.  They…they had other things to do inside,” Elrohir said.  He wasn’t about to lie, but he also didn’t think it was these boys’ business that Elladan and Legolas were being punished.

“So you are out here by yourself…all alone,” confirmed Johir with a disturbing grin, taking up the questioning again.

The little elf was definitely starting to worry as he looked at the two grinning elves before him, wishing more than ever that he’d just gone ahead and been bad so he could have been punished along with Elladan and Legolas.  The two elves before him were so tall as they towered over him and for a moment he felt like they would swoop down on him in one great rush.  Then, dismissing his fears with impatience for his silly imagination, the little elf made himself stay calm.  Besides, he was unwilling to show these older boys that they could intimidate him, so he answered as indifferently as he could, “Aye…sometimes I like to be alone.”

Again the two older boys shared a look—one that Elrohir couldn’t understand—and then Belmandren said, “Well, unless you prefer to be alone now, you could come with us.  We were thinking about exploring a cave we found and since you have always seemed the adventurous sort, you might enjoy it.  Would you like to come?”

Elrohir wasn’t stupid.  Something didn’t sound quite right about this offer.  The older boys had never invited him to do anything with them…and since when did they consider him the ‘adventurous sort?’  Although in later years he, along with his twin, would become renowned for their bold exploits, for now he was still just a little elf who was known as being the more hesitant of the twins and he was honest enough to admit it to himself.  So what were these boys up to?  He opened his mouth to decline their invitation, but then Johir said to his friend with a wink that Elrohir couldn’t see, “Nay, Bel, I don’t think he would want to come.  He’s too little…he’d get scared.”

Poof!  All rational thought fled as the little elf pulled himself as tall as he could.  He was still smarting from Elladan calling him an ‘Ada’s boy’ and Legolas implying he’d never be a warrior without taking risks.  Not only was his own pride under attack, but he also didn’t want his family’s reputation to be dishonored by letting these big elves think that one of Lord Elrond’s sons was ‘scared.’ With a determined nod, Elrohir stood up and said firmly yet politely, “I would be pleased to join you.  Thank you for inviting me.”

Belmandren hid a smile, amused at the formal response coming from such a small elf.  It reminded him suddenly, though, that this little fellow wasn’t just any elfling, but a young lord, and perhaps it wouldn’t be the smartest idea to tease him.  He and Johir had been on the hunt for a victim for their latest prank and had been amused to think of one of the twins falling into their trap.  But looking at the proud stance of the young lordling, he decided that maybe this was a bad idea after all.  Turning to Johir, he shook his head rapidly and tried to communicate his reservations with his eyes.

Johir, though, just grinned back and rolled his eyes at his friend, then started down the path and called, “Come, the cave is this way.”

Belmandren frowned slightly.  He wasn’t sure this was a good idea, but then again, he didn’t want his friend to get irritated with him if he ruined things, so Belmandren forced aside lingering concerns as he glanced down at the little elf smiling up at him.  After all, he reasoned, what harm could come from a simple prank?  It wasn’t like they were going to actually hurt the little fellow.  Pasting on a smile, Belmandren patted Elrohir on the shoulder and the two set off after Johir.

As Elrohir walked between Johir and Belmandren, he forgot his own doubts and began to get excited about his part in their upcoming adventure.  This was the first time any of the older boys had asked him, specifically, to join them and it gave him a warm, tingly feeling to think that they wanted him with them.  Not ‘the twins,’ not ‘Elladan and his brother,’ just him…Elrohir.  The little elf couldn’t help but smile with happiness as he skipped along, thinking about going back to the library and relating his tale of exploration to Elladan and Legolas.  For once he would be the adventurous one, and he couldn’t wait to share it with them!

This feeling of excitement didn’t go away as they finally reached their destination—a small opening in the rocks at the base of a large hill.  Johir turned to him and said quite seriously, “This is it, Elrohir.  The entrance to the cave we found.  As you can see, it is very dark inside.  Are you sure you wish to enter?”

Elrohir got down on his hands and knees and poked his head inside.  It did look dark, but the narrow opening gave enough light that he could still make out some of the interior features.  With eyes shining, he nodded eagerly, “It looks very interesting.  Can I go first?”

He didn’t see the look the two older boys shared and the quick, silent communication between them.  He had turned back to the cave entrance and was once more peering inside, trying to determine if that shiny spot in the far corner could be a pool of water.  Thus, he missed the rapid, silent argument, and the resulting capitulation from Belmandren, who reluctantly answered Elrohir, “Nay, Johir can go first to make sure it is safe, but you may be next.  I will enter last.”

Elrohir looked back and nodded agreeably, backing out of the entrance to let Johir crawl through first.  Once the bigger elf went in, he quickly followed and then found himself transported into another world. 

His eyes almost immediately adjusted to the dim light and Elrohir gasped in wonder at what he saw.  The small entrance had been deceptive, for the cave actually opened up into a large, high room filled with wondrous sights.  Large stalactites hung from the ceiling, almost touching a corresponding group of stalagmites that reached up from the floor.  And there was a soft plopping sound as drops of water fell off of some other large spikes into the pool that was in the corner, feeding a small stream that trickled along the cave floor.  A large column of white rock that looked like it had been dripped from an enormous candle stood at one end of the cavern, its sides glistening with the dampness that still flowed down from above.  There was almost too much for him to take in as he spun around in joy.  It was an amazing place.  Then, as he turned to the wall, he stopped, awestruck.  The cave walls on the far side were covered with formations of some kind of crystal—crystal that reflected the natural glow from the elves and caused that end of the cave to shimmer like a fairy land. 

“It’s…it’s wonderful!” Elrohir said breathlessly.

Belmandren joined Elrohir and nodded down to him.  “It is magnificent,” he agreed with a smile of his own.  He, too, loved the quiet beauty of the place and enjoyed the obvious delight of the little elf.  For awhile, he forgot the trick that he and Johir had devised and led Elrohir around the cavern, showing him some of his favorite spots, only remembering their plans when Johir came up behind them and suddenly gasped at a small sound.

“What was that?” the tall elf said in alarm.

Elrohir looked up at the two big elves, not exactly worried, but concerned at the expression on Johir’s face.

Belmandren said nothing, but then jerked forward as he felt his friend poke him sharply in the ribs.  “Is it rats?” he asked, following the script reluctantly.

“Surely not cave rats,” Johir said in a horrified voice, trying to get his partner into the spirit of the game.

When his friend didn’t follow up with his part, Johir elbowed Belmandren harder this time and prompted, “You remember what we were told about cave rats, don’t you?”

With a mental sigh, Belmandren gave in and worked a bit of fear into his voice as he said, “That was just a story…wasn’t it?”

“I think not.  I’ve heard it’s true.  We’d best get out of here,” croaked Johir in a shaky voice.

“But what if they’ve trapped us?” Belmandren squeaked fearfully, finally getting into the part.

“Well, perhaps it is just a story and we can still get out,” said Johir, as if he was trying to be courageous.

Elrohir listened to the exchange with growing alarm.  If these two big, brave boys were frightened, there must be something really wrong.  Anxious to know what was going on, he tugged on Belmandren’s tunic and asked, “What is it they say about cave rats?”

The two older youths exchanged a grin over Elrohir’s head, even Belmandren pleased that they had hooked their little fish.  He dropped his voice into a fearful whisper and said with dread, “They say cave rats will do anything for fresh meat.  They have even been known to eat elves who get trapped in the darkness.  If it is cave rats that we hear scratching along the floor, we may be doomed if they have not yet had their meal today.”

The little elf looked up into Belmandren’s face and then turned to Johir, trying to decide if they were just having fun with him.  He had never heard of any such thing as elf-eating cave rats.  And these two were known for their flair for drama.  If anyone could fake fear, it would be them.  With a slight scowl, he shook his head and said, “You are just trying to fool me.  There is nothing here that will eat us.  If it was dangerous, the guard would have blocked off this entrance.”

Johir was somewhat impressed that Elrohir was thinking things through logically instead of clinging to him in fear, but wasn’t about to let a clever elfling ruin his fun.  So, suddenly he yelped in pain and fell down, grabbing his ankle.  “It bit me!” he hollered. 

For a split second Belmandren thought Johir had actually been injured—his cry was so real—but then he smiled in the dark at his friend’s acting abilities and shouted, “We must get out, now!”

He helped Johir scramble to his feet and the two of them each grabbed one of Elrohir’s hands, pulling him along as they made their way around the edge of the cavern.  The little elf stumbled along the uneven floor, trying to keep up, but finally tripped and fell onto his knees, unable to hold back a small cry of his own when he saw from this vantage point that there really were rats scurrying about in the cave.  They were real!  He allowed the boys to pull him to his feet, but fell again almost immediately since their strides were much longer than his.  Then, he felt a pair of hands lift him up and before he could object, they set him up on a high ledge along the cave wall.

“Here,” said Johir’s breathless voice.  “You will be safe on this ledge until we get help.  The rats cannot climb up the wall to get to you.  We are both much larger than you, so we will try to make it through, though you would be an easy target for them.  Do not be afraid—we will be right back with some of the guard.”

“Wait…” was all the little elf could say before the two others turned and started to run away without another word.  He leaned forward, but then flung himself back when he started to slip off the ledge.  In the dim light he couldn’t make out how far down it was to the floor and didn’t want to fall.

“No.  Let me come with you,” he shouted after the retreating boys, but his words went unanswered.  He called to them as he heard them moving farther away, “Johir!  Belmandren!  Wait!”  But again, they didn’t answer.

“No.  Don’t leave me…” he called, his voice drifting off as he realized that they were nowhere near him anymore.

For a few moments, he could hear them moving rapidly through the cave, every once in a while one of them shouting, “It got me again,” or “It’s trying to eat me.  Hurry!”  And then it was silent except for the constant dripping of the water into the pool and the near-constant sounds of scurrying by the rats that had been disturbed by their presence.

The little elf sat on his ledge, not sure what he should do.  Still not completely convinced that the boys weren’t playing a trick on him, he wondered if he should get down and make his own way out, but he also wasn’t completely sure that they weren’t telling the truth.  What if those rats really did eat elves?  He had nothing with which to fight them and he could tell from the sounds that the cave was full of them.  Unable to decide if he was just the latest victim of one of the pair’s infamous tricks, he finally chose to just wait where he was for now, like the big boys had told him.

Elrohir had always been proud of his ability to be very patient when needed, but after a long period of time passed he began to get worried.  No one had come back for him.  What if those boys hadn’t made it out of the cave?  What if they had been killed by the rats?  He hadn’t heard them screaming, but maybe the rats killed their victims instantly.  His imagination began to work overtime and he began to picture all kinds of horrible fates as he sat there, trying not to fall off the little ledge as he thought about what might have happened to his companions.

“Johir?” he finally called anxiously.  “Belmandren?”

No answer.

Time dragged past when, with nothing else to do, the little elf started to wriggle around on his rock shelf, trying to see if there was some kind of way he could climb along the wall and head toward the shaft of light at the far end of the cave.  His explorations soon revealed an unhappy truth, though.  The ledge was really no more than a small hollow in the rock and he was unable to scoot more than a few inches in either direction.  Somehow knowing that made his stay even worse.  He was trapped unless he climbed down and took his chances with the rats. 

Frustrated and getting angry now, he crossed his arms in front of him and started kicking the rock with his heels.  Anyone who knew him would have been able to recognize the signs of one unhappy elfling.  But no one was there to scold him for sulking and after awhile, he couldn’t sustain his anger.  With a great sigh, the little elf stopped kicking and dropped his chin onto his chest.  He was so tired of being here in the dark!  Surely someone would be looking for him now, right?  Calling out again, he waited for any kind of answer, but his shout only seemed to stir up the rats, who had finally settled down, so with a shuddering gulp, he was silent. 

For an endless amount of time after that, he remained on the ledge, tired, achy, hungry, and becoming more and more scared.  He wanted to get down, but it was too dark to see any real definition of the rock walls where he was and he didn’t know just how high up he was.  He had already decided that he couldn’t have been too high, since Johir had picked him up and placed him there, but if he hurt himself getting down, he would have a hard time getting out of the cave.  And that was his real worry.  He could still hear the scratchy sound of the rats’ feet—if the boys had been telling the truth, he shouldn’t chance going down on the floor where the creepy little rodents could bite at him.  What should he do?  Oh, if only he hadn’t come into this stupid cave!  Or if only Elladan had been with him.  No matter how much his twin fussed at him and urged him to be more daring, he knew that even when Elladan was frustrated with him, he would never have left him here alone.  Moreover, he knew it would be so much easier to be brave if his fearless twin was with him, egging him on.

But Elrohir was wise enough to know that wishing for something wouldn’t make it happen, so he made himself not think of Elladan or he knew he’d end up crying.  Finally, when more agonizing time passed without the slighted hint of any rescue party, a small tear did finally roll down the little elf’s face as he realized that for whatever reason, no one was coming for him.  Maybe the other boys had purposely left him here or maybe they had been eaten, but either way, he would have to get himself out of this mess.  Chewing the edge of his lip anxiously, he tried to think about what Elladan or his parents would do.  They would never be trapped in some stupid cave with stupid rats! 

Clinging desperately to that thought, Elrohir decided he’d just have to get himself down.  He felt better for having decided to do something, so he immediately tried to turn himself around so he could hold on to the ledge as he felt for a foothold.  Wriggling as carefully as he could, he managed to get a knee up onto the ledge and then slowly turned his body so he was pressed up against the wall, almost hugging it as he kept himself from falling.  The ledge wasn’t very deep, so there wasn’t a lot of room to move around, but he was pleased that he had succeeded in his first step and after a deep breath, slowly slipped his knee off while he held onto the ledge with both arms rigid. 

So far so good, he felt around with his feet, looking for anything to support his weight while his arms kept him upright.  Finally, he felt a little ridge of some kind and carefully started to lower himself down.  The rock wall beneath the ledge was moist and slippery, however, and with a suddenness that shocked him, Elrohir’s foot slipped off the ridge and he had no time to catch himself before he fell.  As his chin went past the ledge he’d been sitting on, it clipped the edge and the little elf bit his lip painfully before falling the rest of the way to the floor with a loud clatter as he pulled down some loose rocks.

For a moment the small figure lay there, shocked by the fall as well as the fact that he was no longer trapped on the ledge.  Then before he could even catch his breath, he suddenly felt all the little bruises and scrapes that he’d received from his fall as well as the bloody lip that he’d bitten when he hit the ledge. 

“Ow…” the little elf whimpered quietly.  He wouldn’t let himself cry, but that had really hurt. 

As he pushed himself to his knees, ragged breaths and an occasional soft cry made it clear that this small elfling was nearing the end of his rope, but there was no one there to pick him up and carry him out of his dark prison.  Left to get himself out of his mess, Elrohir scooted over to a smooth patch of rock and hugged his arms tightly to his chest as he calmed himself down and thought about the best way out of the cave.

He tried to remember the path he and the other boys had taken to get to where he was now, but it was hard to picture.  When he’d come into the cave, he had wandered about in a haze of delight, following Belmandren without really watching where he was going.  They had climbed over rocks and around deep holes without any sense of danger.  But now that he was alone and hurting, the way back seemed treacherous and long and he sat very still as he tried to work out how to get back to the small shaft of light that he knew would lead him outside.

He might have sat there even longer, but jumped up with a gasp when he felt something run over his feet.  How could he have for even one moment forgotten the rats?  Kicking at it as he backed away, he cried out as he felt it bite him.  Then he kicked at it in earnest, only to have the horrid little beast bite him again.  No, no, no, no, no!!  They had been telling the truth…the rats wanted to eat him!  Elrohir scrambled to his feet and then ran as fast as he could, picking himself up each time he tripped, stopping only when he hit another wall with a small crash.  He fell to the floor, but then frantically felt the wall in front of him and started to climb up when his hands found sufficient hand holds in the rock before him.  Desperate to get away from the elf-devouring creatures, he climbed blindly, without even knowing what awaited him above.  Fortunately, after several feet, he found a wide ledge that he could crawl onto and he laid there while he caught his breath, eternally grateful that he was safe from the horrid beasts below.

How long he lay there, Elrohir didn’t know.  He was way past being hungry, so he knew he’d been in the cave a long time.  What was more disturbing to him, however, was he began to realize that he could no longer see the small shaft of light that showed him the way out.  Either he had ended up in some other room in his flight, or maybe it was getting dark outside and the sun no longer reached the small cave entrance.  Neither of those answers was one he wanted to accept, though.  Either way meant that he wouldn’t be able to find his way out of the pitch darkness, even if he could summon up his courage and chance getting down on the floor again and facing those beastly rats.

Time crawled by for the little elf as he sat himself up on the ledge and tried to feel his way around.  He no longer had any sense of where he was other than gravity giving him a basic feel for up and down.  Which way was the entrance?  How far down was the floor?  Or the ceiling for that matter?  How could he get out?  As he groped around in the darkness, Elrohir got to his hands and knees and started crawling along the rocky ledge, hoping to find something that could help him find the way out.  But then his hand slipped on a wet spot on the rock, his elbow banged hard into the rock, and he fell on his face before he could catch himself.  That did it.  Instead of getting back up, the small elf just stayed where he was and finally gave in to the tears that he could no longer hold inside.  He wanted to go home.  He wanted his parents to cuddle him and tell him that nothing would eat him.  He didn’t even care if Elladan and Legolas laughed at him for being stupid enough to get stuck in a cave.  He just wanted out! 

“Dan,” the scared little elf cried, “please find me…”  He wished with all his might for his twin.  Elladan had always been there for him and would get him out of this mess, but once again his wishes went unanswered.  He was alone and no one was coming for him.  With that despairing thought, Elrohir curled up on the rock ledge and buried his head in his arms, crying from the ache of an unbearable loneliness until he fell into an uneasy sleep.

When he awoke again, Elrohir at first had no idea where he was.  He was laying on something very hard and it was very, very dark.  More confused than scared, he felt around with his hands until his predicament came flooding back to him in a great rush.  *Oh no…it wasn’t just a nightmare!* he thought hopelessly and for a brief moment thought of just laying his head back down in defeat.

His rest had done him good, however, and after that touch of despair, he shook himself mentally and told himself to not be a quitter.  Then he sat up, almost smiling as he imagined the lecture that he knew Elladan would give him if he’d been there.  ‘No more crying.  No more waiting helplessly.  He was the son of the great Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian.  His grandmother was the amazing Lady Galadriel.  His brother was the incredible, magnificent, brave Lord Elladan!’  He allowed himself a small giggle as he pictured Elladan posturing as he said that.  Infinitely cheerier, he decided that he agreed with his brother’s imaginary lecture.  How could he even think of giving up?  If it was up to him to find a way out, he’d better stop lying around thinking about it and get moving! 

Drawing on a quiet inner strength for which he would be known later in life, Elrohir sat still as he composed himself.  He reached out with his other senses since the only thing he could see in the pitch dark of the cave was his own faint glow, but even that was dimmer than it should be.  After a little while, his patience was rewarded as he heard a small sound coming from his right.  He could tell it was the rats, but he knew that they had been in the large cavern so he decided, after another stern lecture to himself to stop being so frightened of some animals that were smaller than him, to follow the sounds that he heard.  He crawled along the ledge, feeling his way in the dark, and was pleased to find that it opened up into some kind of tunnel, leading to the sound.  He crawled along it with determination, squeezing through when it got tight, even wriggling on his stomach when the tunnel seemed impassable.  He would get through!  At one point he began to doubt his ability to really make it when his right foot got wedged between some rocks, but after many tense moments, he managed to slip out of his shoe and continued on, leaving the shoe behind.  At last, his determined efforts seemed to be rewarded, for he felt the tunnel open up and he heard quite clearly the scurrying of many little feet.  He must be back in the main cavern.

Elrohir carefully felt in front of him, stopping when he realized that the tunnel ended in the side of some wall and there were no ledges to crawl along.  He could either go back or climb down the wall beneath the tunnel opening.  Determined to find his way out, Elrohir chose to go forward.  Remembering his earlier fall, though, he was very cautious as he scooted back into the tunnel and then turned himself around, not wanting to find himself tumbling down yet another wall onto the unyielding cave floor.  He tried to ignore the thought of the rats below him as he made his way down the wall, telling himself he was bigger than them and if need be, could just wade right through them once he saw the entrance to the cave.  He wouldn’t let them stop him this time—he had to get out!

Elrohir managed to make it all the way down the wall without falling, the natural grace that even little elves possessed aiding his descent in the dark.  The first thing that he stepped on, however, as he moved away from the wall, was a large rat.  He nearly fell as it writhed beneath him, squealing in a high-pitched shriek.  He gave his own little shout and jumped off it, horrified, only to trip over another one and then stumble backwards when he felt the sharp claws of yet another one dig into his bare foot.  The floor here was literally covered with the little beasts!

Thoughts of bravery and the strength of his ancestors flew from his mind as the elfling turned around, desperate to climb back up the wall that he’d just come down.  He had become disoriented, however, and instead of finding the wall, he ended up moving away from it, stepping on even more of the little rodents who retaliated by biting his ankles and feet as he stumbled through them.

Not knowing where he was going, Elrohir blindly tried to run through the dark, becoming frantic when his searching hands couldn’t find the solid comfort of the wall in front of him.  He kept stumbling forward, tripping and falling over the many unseen obstacles in his path, collecting a whole new set of scrapes, bruises, and bites as he tried to find the wall so he could climb back out of this nightmare place.

By the time Elrohir finally careened into another wall, he was beyond frightened.  He had been bitten dozens of times on his ankles as well as on his arms, hands, and even his face when he had fallen amongst the rodents that swarmed over the floor.  His breath coming in gasps and, barely holding on to his ability to think, he grabbed onto the wall as if it were a lifeline and hugged it as he ran alongside it, clinging to it desperately as he tried to find his way out.  The small elf tripped over rocks in his way, slipped on wet stones, and fell to his already-scraped knees when he stepped into shallow holes.  On and on he went, always picking himself up as he continued forward, only panicked determination making him get back up every time he fell.  Somewhere there was a way out and he had to find it! 

The poor little elf had no way of knowing that he’d ended up in an enclosed cavern whose only entrance big enough for an elf was the tunnel through which he’d entered.  He had no way of finding it, either, for it was somewhere above his head, invisible in the darkness.

He would have just kept unknowingly running in circles, but he was tired, hungry, and scared and finally went down hard as he lost his footing on one of the damp stones.  He tried to get back up once more, terrified at the thought of being down amongst the rats, but he had badly twisted his ankle and the moment he put weight on it, he fell back down with a cry. 

Pain, fright, and loneliness consumed him as a rat ran up his back and he screamed out, “Dan!,” wanting nothing more than to have his twin at his side to help him get out of this terrifying place.  There was no answer to his call, of course, but by this time he really didn’t hope for any.  He was trapped in the pitch dark and would never get out.  In his mind he heard once again Belmandren’s voice whispering, ‘Cave rats will do anything for fresh meat,” and knew his fate.

“No.  No.  No…”  The little elf was crying in earnest as he tried to stand back up using the support of the wall.  Losing any sense of grace or balance as he shook uncontrollably, he once again slipped and felt a searing pain as his weakened ankle twisted beneath him and he heard a sickening ‘snap’ of the bone.  Lying on the cave floor, unable to get up again, he felt with horror the scratchy feet of an uncountable number of rats climbing over him and at last conscious thought fled.  The little elf screamed “NO!” in sheer terror, his mind filled with images of thousands of little monsters ripping him to pieces as they made him their dinner.  This image engulfed him and in mindless panic he curled up into a little ball, covering his head tightly with his arms.  The rats continued to run around and over their little intruder, now ignoring him since he was no longer stepping on them, but the small elf didn’t realize that they weren’t trying to eat him.  Overcome by terror and pain, he had slipped into a dark little world of his own and lost all sense of awareness.

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