Hallam, as the Dragon, dressed himself in some
pieces of scaled Elvish armour which were rather to
big for him and glistened red gold. Better still he
found a helmet of Dwarvish make with a snarling
dragon's head crest. It was very heavy and he couldn't
quite see out of the eyeholes of the faceguard but the
effect was excellent.

   The other children got themselves up as best they
could in whatever bits of armour they could find that
weren't too hopelessly large. The effect here wasn't
anywhere near as good as each was wearing mismatched
pieces from two or more different suits.

    Berya had a tunic of gold colored mail, almost
long enough for a dress, and a winged helmet of
galvorn and silver, the nose guard coming nearly to
her chin. However her red and gold damascened
gauntlets fit quite well allowing her to get a good
grip on her wooden practice sword, (naturally they
weren't silly enough to use the real swords, somebody
might have gotten hurt).

   Amin found himself a mail hood that covered not
only head but shoulders and most of his chest, and a
pair of wristguards that reached way past his elbows.
Estel had a neckpiece big enough to serve as a
breastplate and tied a pair of extra large wristguards
to his shins to act as greaves and, as he was playing
King Valandur, bound a star on his brow. Not the
Elendilmir of course but one of the lesser jewels worn
by Queens or Underkings.

   Meleth, quite unable to find any piece of armour
small enough for her to wear, had instead covered the
front of her dress with jeweled broaches and wrapped
her arms to the elbows in glittering chains.

    Finally, when everybody had finished dressing,
Hallam crawled into his gold lined cave to emerge
moments later at Estel's, (King Valandur's) challenge
and join battle. Naturally this involved a good deal
of shouting, shrieks from the girls, and roars from
the beleagured Dragon.

   It really wasn't at all surprising they attracted
attention. Unfortunately it was the attention of Uncle
himself, walking in the garden with his sons, Elladan
and Elrohir, and King Thorin and Gandalf and several
of the other Dwarves, discussing the safest routes
over the Misty Mountains and through Mirkwood and
whether help could be expected from the Men of Long
Lake.

   Poor little Mr. Baggins was there too, becoming
more and more alarmed as he listened to talk of
Goblins and Spiders and of the terrible Necromancer
who lived in the southern part of Mirkwood. A
particularly loud shriek, (from Meleth as she fell
into the stream near the grotto) made him jump. "Good
heavens what was that!"

   Elrond smiled. "My wards at one of their games no
doubt." cocked his head as the shrieks and shouts
continued. "Perhaps we'd better see what they're up
to."

   Meleth, after losing her sword in the stream,
picked up a big two handled cup that had rolled out of
the hoard and used it to throw water at the Dragon,
liberally splashing her fellow warriors as well. The
others didn't like this much and were trying to make
her stop when their Uncle's familiar voice rose above
the shouts and scolding.

   "Children! What is all this?"

   "We're playing Dragons." Estel answered promptly,
though rather breathlessly, water dripping from his
hair. "Hallam's the Dragon."

   Elves, Dwarves and Hobbit all stared at the
children, wearing surprisingly similar expressions.

   "Estel's King Valandur and we're his warriors."
Meleth explained, climbing out of the stream to stand
soaked and glittering beside her brother.*1

   Temporarily rendered speechless Elrond reached down
to carefully detach a many rayed star of pure mithril
set with a great green emerald from her dress and
stare at it.

   "We needed a hoard," Estel explained, now a little
defensive, "so we used some of the things from the
windowless tower."

   "We didn't take anything that didn't belong to us."
Meleth said virtuously.

   "She's got a point there, Father." Elladan murmured
quietly into Elrond's ear, and got a dark look in
return.

   The hoard had become somewhat scattered in the
course of the action, a glittering trail now led from
streamside to grotto. The Dwarves, characteristically
drawn to works of craft, moved among the treasures
picking objects up to examine and saying things like
"Surely this is silverwork of Belegost!" or "See, here's
Narvi's mark." to each other.

   Elrond cleared his throat carefully. "There is no
question but these things are your own, Dunadan, your
heritage from your Fathers of Old." Estel looked wary,
when Uncle used his title it usually meant he was in
trouble. "This is the Elfstone, given by Gil-Galad to
Elendil as token of their alliance -"

   He was interupted by King Thorin, holding a
shimmering pearl the size and shape of a dove's egg
caught in a twist of gold wire and hanging from his
hand by a braided chain of gold and mithril. "And this
is Nimphelos." the Dwarf said seriously. "Given by
Thingol Greycloak to the Lord of Belegost in payment
for the delving of his halls. And by the last Lord of
Belegost to Durin II High King of the Dwarves. And by
my ancestor Thrain I to Aranarth of the Dunedain, who
was yours, as thank gift and token of the friendship
between our peoples. Is it well done, my Lord Aragorn,
to play with such things?"

   "Well said, Thorin." Elrond agreed. "Dunadan?"

   "I suppose not. I didn't think of that." Estel
conceeded uncomfortably.

    "I should have." Hallam said coming forward,
helmet under arm. "I'm the oldest. I'm sorry, Uncle."

   "We just wanted the Dragon's cave to look right."
Berya put in, pulling off her own helm. She looked at
Thorin. "Don't Dwarf children ever play with the
beautiful things you make?"

   Thorin's mouth twitched and he cast a twinkling
glance sidelong at his nephews, Fili and Kili. "It has
been known."

   "But never with things so ancient and precious."
Kili said quickly, ears reddening.*2

   "We didn't hurt anything," Amin pleaded, "and we
were going to put it all back when we finished."

   "I'd say you're finished now." Gandalf observed, a
distinct note of amusement audible in his voice.

   "Definitely." Elrond agreed drily. "You will please
return your property to it's proper place *now*."

   "Yes, Uncle." Hallam, Berya and Amin began picking
things up off the grass. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged
looks and moved to join them.

   Thorin handed Nimphelos to Estel and Elrond
returned the Elfstone to Meleth. She frowned at it.
Then at up at her Uncle.

   "Are you going to punish us?"

   "Surely that would be unjust, Elrond." Gandalf said
quickly raising bushy eyebrows. "After all, as the
Lady Region*3 has quite properly pointed out, they
have only made use of what is their own."

   "That is true." Uncle looked sternly down at his
fosterlings. "However I trust in the future they will
think twice before taking heirlooms of their House
from the windowless tower."

   Estel and Meleth nodded fervently and backed
quickly away to join the other children collecting
treasures.
  
   "I don't believe I can take much more of this,
Gandalf." Elrond said to the Wizard. "Diverting
waterfalls, climbing out of the valley, using the
treasure of Elendil as toys -"

   "Come, Elrond," Gandalf laughed, "the Heirs of
Isildur have always been of an enterprising nature."

   "That's one way of putting it." the Elf agreed
drily.

   "It certainly looks like you have your hands full,
Master Elrond." from an amused but not unsympathetic
Thorin.

   "Excuse me." little Mr. Baggins had been listening
to all this in mounting confusion. "I don't wish to
pry, but if I might ask; who are those children?"

   "Descendants and heirs of the Kings of the West."
Elrond answered somberly. "And my own distant kin
through my brother Elros who became a Mortal Man."

   "Good heavens!" gasped the Hobbit. "I thought the
Kings were all dead long ago."

   "So all were meant to think." the Wizard looked
sternly down at him, eyebrows bristling. "The Heirs of
Isildur have many enemies, their continued existance
must remain a secret."

   "I understand." Bilbo said seriously. "I won't say
a word."

   Gandalf's face relaxed into a smile. "I know you
won't, my dear Bilbo."
   ********************************************

*1. Remember Meleth is not Estel's sister by blood but 
by adoption. However they have been raised together since
infancy and always call each other brother and sister.

*2 I suspect some quite interesting youthful escapade
on the part of Fili and Kili is being refered to here
but unfortunately have no idea what it was.

*3 Region is Meleth's formal name.