“Rise and shine, tithen gwanûn!” Glorfindel stood in the doorway to the twin’s room. They had separate chambers, but often opted to sleep together. Elrohir groaned and burrowed further under the light blanket adorning the bed, pulling his pillow over his head. Elladan gave Glorfindel a bleary gaze in the dim light.
“Itsill milldle ofa night.” He said tiredly, his words slurring with sleep.
“I beg to differ. The sun has risen outside the valley and as I speak is cresting the mountains to show her beautiful face to us. So up we come, and breakfast is to be on the march.”
“March?” Elladan half-sat up, though his brother had obviously decided to ignore the summons.
“So to speak. I have biscuits and water here, good soldier fare.” Glorfindel gave him a grin.
“Yeah, dead soldiers.” Elrohir muttered into the feather tick. He was listening, though he seemed asleep.
“Last call before I come over there.”
“Alright!” Elladan grumped, pushing his twin with his feet so he teetered on the edge of the bed before climbing out himself. Elrohir fell to the floor with a thump, issuing a pained groan.
“You are decidedly evil. Are you certain you came from Turgon’s forces and not Morgoth’s?” He said, peeking over the bed as he hauled himself up.
“Quite sure.” Glorfindel replied. “Now, get dressed. Elladan, Elandir is awaiting you. And Elrohir, my little pupil, we have much work to do.”
“That is precisely what I feared you would say.”
After he goaded the twins into dressing and eating their meagre breakfast, Glorfindel escorted Elladan to the blacksmith and then led Elrohir deep into the woods. To the elf’s confusion, he sat down when he reached a glade and patted the area next to him.
“Come, Elrohir, sit by me. We have much to speak of.”
“Speak?” Elrohir remained standing.
“Yes. What lessons did you think I meant? You already have lessons in combat, supply, logistics. No, I wish to teach you something now that I rarely teach anyone. That is looking inward and following one’s own heart, as well as being fully aware of one’s surroundings.”
Slightly mollified by the explanation, Elrohir cautiously sat down. “Fully aware, sort of like when you blindfolded Elladan and me and made us use our ears to figure out the next movement?”
“Very much like that.”
“I do not understand the rest of it though.”
“Ah, yes. Looking inward. Do not think, Elrohir, that it has escaped my notice or your parent’s notice that you often give in to what it is your brother wants. You may be twins and have a deeper bond than any one of us may understand, but this does not mean that because he is the more outspoken of the two of you that he must have his way all the time.”
“I do not quite grasp what you mean.”
“You did not want to sneak into Elandir’s forge, did you?”
Elrohir hesitated. “Not particularly.”
“Yet you did anyway.”
“Yes.”
“Because Elladan told you to.”
“Yes.”
“And that is what I mean. You gave in to his will. Can you tell me why?”
Elrohir thought a moment. “Why, simply because Elladan tells a convincing story. Besides, he is the eldest, and he should have what he wants. I am only the second twin. He also said we could do what I wanted later.”
Glorfindel shook his head. “Wrong. Eldest or not, that does not give him the automatic right to demand what he wants. And being second-born, Elrohir, is not a bad thing. Never belittle yourself like that. As for doing what you desired later, what exactly was that?”
“I wanted to go swimming. Summer is beginning, and the days are getting warmer. To be able to swim is a good skill, also.”
Glorfindel gave the elf a searching look, then suddenly sprang to his feet. Being their training master he knew Elrohir’s fighting tactics, and noticed that alone the elf was weaker. Without his brother he did not try as hard. But when Elladan fought by his side, he still allowed the elder twin to take the lead, and this was what Glorfindel wanted to break him of. Fighting in tandem was all well and good, but he needed to know self-combat as well and decisive actions. There would not always be someone to lead him.
“Get up. Take a swing at me.” He said to the startled elf.
“Wh-what? I do not understand.”
“You do not need to understand. Just do as I said.”
Standing carefully Elrohir shook out his arms and then lunged, swinging at Glorfindel. It was blocked easily and Elrohir ended up in a choke-hold before he could catch his balance.
“That is your main problem. You always depend on someone else to be there, to back you up if you should fail. Someone to take the lead. This is what I am going to teach you, Elrohir; to fight for yourself and by yourself. To take control. It will make your fighting skills both with and without Elladan that much stronger.” Glorfindel released the younger elf. “Do you understand what we are doing out here now?
"Yes." Elrohir replied, smiling tentatively. He did understand, and though he had his misgivings, he knew Glorfindel was right. He needed to learn to use these skills.