Let the Games Begin

Elrond entered the council room and slumped into his chair. He lowered his head into his hands. He groaned loudly.

“AI!” Came a startled cry from behind a pillar.

Elrond jumped to his feet just as startled, at the stranger who appeared. “Thranduil?”

“Valar Elrond!” The king cried accusingly. “Warn someone before slinking into your trances.”

“I wan not in one of my trances.” Elrond defended himself. “Perhaps you should not be in my council room sneaking about.”

The king’s face darkened. “I was not sneaking around, Elrond Peredhil. What are you doing here?”

“This is my council room!” Elrond spread his arms wide, flabbergasted. “I might ask what you are doing here.”

Thranduil’s face softened and he chuckled. “I was remembering the time we sat here and your beautiful wife decided to cool us down.”

Elrond stopped pacing and lowered his arms to his sides. His eyes grew distant as he wandered into memory. Then he laughed. “That’s right!” Elrond sat down in his chair again. “We were in a heated discussion.”

“It seems of late, we are always involved in headed discussions, Peredhil.” Thranduil sat down in the chair to Elrond’s right.

Elrond nodded briefly. “True, but why is that so, Orpherion?”

Thranduil raised his eyebrows at the title Elrond passed him. “Orpherion? I have not hear that in some time.”

Elrond shrugged. “I called you that when we were friends.” Elrond lowered his eyes and sighed. “A friendship I miss.”

“That was not my fault, and you know it.” Thranduil’s eyes grew dark again, his blue eyes flashing dangerously.

Elrond raised his eyes holding his hands out in front of him in defense. “I meant nothing from it. I know that after, things got airy. I have not even let my children enter there for fear that something dreadful would happen.”

“It always does, in those woods, Peredhil. Mithrandir should see them. I am sure that he could solve the riddle that lays within.”

Elrond nodded in agreement and drew his lips into a thin line.

Thranduil put a hand onto Elrond’s shoulder, and smiled slowly. “That is long in the past, if we can over come the tragedy of that day perhaps we can regain the friendship we lost.”

Elrond raised his grey eyes and met the blue ones of the king. “You would be willing to attempt friendship once again? Have our kingdoms sit in alliance?”

Thranduil stood stretching his arms. “I am known as a hard, and cold king. Certain things I do not allow in my kingdom because of the darkness that now lingers there. Perhaps I have been hard and cold too long.” He turned around and glanced at the Lord sitting in his chair. “Perhaps we shall speak more of this tomorrow? But in your study?” He gave the elf lord a half smile.

Elrond laughed. “What so you can ignore my words while you rifle through my books?”

“Of course, I have always loved your collection.” Thranduil grinned broadly.

Elrond stood shaking his head, he placed his hand on the king’s shoulder and both walked into the great house both sharing small talk they had not had for many years.

They did not notice the two ladies who sat in the shadows above the council room. “That was a nice sight to see.” One said quietly.

Celebrian smiled. “Indeed, it was long coming. Perhaps they can put their dignity and differences in the past, and both admit they were at fault that day. Perhaps a friendship can reblossom.”

Lalaith nodded her head in agreement. The two ladies sat in the darkness for a while laughing with each other, long into the night.

Legolas wandered down the halls with his brothers Erysyn and Galen. Talking quietly to each other, plotting their revenge on the twins, when loud laughter stopped them in their tracks. It came from a room down the hall, and they quickly ran to investigate. They rounded the corner and came to a door that stood slightly ajar.

Legolas pushed slowly, poking his head around the corner to glance inside. He was not able to look at the contents of the room for a bucket fell from its perch above the door frame and crashed to the floor spraying all three princes with red colored berry juice.

With a startled exclamation, Legolas jumped back, his tunic and leggings dripping. He turned and looked at his brothers who stood there flabbergasted. He burst into laughter, both his brothers blond hair dripped with the red juice, and both held a look of utter horror.

All three stood there speechless. But turned quickly when Lord Elrond and King Thranduil came around the corner.

Elrond stopped and stared at the three red elves in question. “Wha-?”

Thranduil chuckled. “Let me guess.” Thranduil turned and glanced at Elrond. “The games have begun?”

“Oh they have indeed.” Elrond smiled and glanced once again at the young elves. “You three know you are dripping on my nicely polished floor?”

They looked down, then back up at the two elders standing there. They turned face and bolted down the halls in retreat.

Elrond burst into laughter, followed by the king. “Oh, this shall be interesting.” Thranduil muttered wiping tears from his eyes.

“It shall indeed. I hope your children have lots of tricks up their sleeves.” Elrond laughed.

Thranduil raised his eyebrow.

“My twins have been pulling pranks since they were able to walk, they have years of practice.”

“Oh Valar.” Thranduil whispered. “I hope they do also.” He chuckled. Both elves continued down the halls stepping over red juice as they passed the room where the prank had taken place. Elrond stooped as he passed and picked up the wooden bucket, and placed it on a whicker bench.

“To the study?”

Thranduil nodded and followed the elf lord down the halls.

Elladan and Elrohir watched as their father disappeared around the corner before emerging from their hiding place. Both held broad grins, and bright gray eyes. “Next step?” One twin asked.

The other nodded mischievously. “Yes.” Both took off down the halls silently.

Legolas and his brothers finally stopped their running and stood outside the shower hall. The three elves stripped down out of their clothes and pushed open the delicately carved swinging doors to enter.

“I cannot believe those blasted twins got the better of us.” Galen muttered angrily.

Legolas raised an eyebrow looking at his older brother. “Why do you hold anger towards them?”

“I have heard the stories father told me about the Peredhil family. Perhaps you should ask him sometime.” Galen stormed into the stalls and reached out for the cord to release the water. Nothing came out. Surprised he glanced up and received a face full of sand. Startled he stumbled back wiping his face with his arms, spreading sand and paint on it.

Legolas burst into renewed laughter, as he pulled a towel from a peg on a hook. He passed it to Galen, who snatched it and wiped the sand out of his eyes. Erysyn snickered climbing the stairs to glance in the water barrels. He looked at the contents and called down. “Only yours has sand in it, Galen. The others appear to be fine.”

They nodded and Galen and Legolas both stepped forward to rinse themselves off. Legolas pulled on his rope that released the water, and felt something sticky fall on his head. He released the cord and lifted his hand to his head. “Ewwww. What is this?”

Galen stepped forward and took some of the sticky stuff off Legolas’ head. “It’s sap.” He said sniffing at the stuff on his fingers.

“SAP?!” Legolas exclaimed. His hands flying to his delicate locks.

Erysyn frowned. “I just looked in that one. I saw only water.” He muttered walking up to his brothers.

They looked up and saw a torn piece of cloth that tore open when the cord was pulled. “Well I looked inside not the outside.”

The three elves stood there shaking their heads. “What do we do now? There is no way I am retiring for the night with sand in my hair.”

“Use this one, there is only water now that the cloth was ripped.” Erysyn smiled pointing at the stall Legolas had used.

“You first dear brother.” Galen smiled slyly.

Erysyn felt his smile fade, but stepped forward and pulled the cord, wincing as he did so. Nothing happened, but a thin stream of water pouring over his head. He quickly washed the red juice off his body, then allowed his brothers to wash themselves.

“How will I get this sap out of my hair?” Legolas moaned.

“Sap will come out eventually, just braid your hair until it does.” Galen muttered toweling himself off. He wrapped the towel around his middle and sat on the bench, waiting as his brother washed himself off. “This means war, you know that right?”

Erysyn nodded wrapping a towel around him, glancing at Galen. “How will we outsmart those two?”

“Oh, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. If they want to play dirty, we shall play just as dirty.” Galen smiled evilly.

Legolas finally emerged and grabbed a towel. The three young elves walked out of the stalls, never noticing the two identical brothers crouched behind a barrel above. “Step three?” One twin whispered.

“Yes.” They stood up and climbed through the opening at the top that allowed water from rain to enter the barrels.

“They plan to outsmart us?” One asked raising an eyebrow, and smiling from ear to ear.

“Think they can?” The other matched his brother’s broad grin.

Both lightly laughed shaking their heads, disappearing into the darkness.

Erysyn wandered down the halls towards his room. He had left Galen and Legolas alone at their rooms, all three checking doorways and anything that could surprise them. But they had found nothing.

Cautiously he opened his door stepping back to see if anything fell from the doorframe. Nothing happened. He grinned and wandered into his room, finally at ease. He changed into his night ware and crawled into bed lying back against the plush feather pillow.

Elrond leaned back in his chair talking with the king of Mirkwood. Both elder elves jumped to their feet when a loud angry cry drifted into the room, filling the night with angry curses. Elrond shook his head and mouthed the words. “The twins.”

Both elders sat back down and chuckled.