Disclaimer: I do not own any of J.R.R Tolkien’s characters, or any of his creations, languages, or Middle-Earth.

Author’s note: At the time when this story supposedly took place, Legolas would’ve been an elfling who would’ve been about 5-6 years of age were he of the race of men. As for Elladan and Elrohir, were they men, they would’ve been a few years older than Legolas, but still young trouble-making elflings. In here, I attempt to portray Arwen as younger than Elladan and Elrohir, but older than Legolas. Or, maybe your own mind will make up what age you think they should be.

Elladan and Elrohir snuck down the vast, shadowy hall of Imaldris. It was very late in the night, and even elves, though they are long awake, seemed tired by the merry times they were having of late, and therefore there were very little who wandered the halls. King Thranduil of Mirkwood and some elves of his company had come for an extended stay, mixed with merrymaking and a little bit of “unfinished” business with Elrond. With him, Thranduil had brought his young son, Legolas, who was dragged along to whatever sport the twins (and sometimes Arwen) set him to.

The twins silently rounded the corner of the hall, which was dark and shadowy save for one flickering flame in the distance.

“It would make for a nice surprise if some sort of monster rounded the corner just now, yelling like a banshee,” Elladan observed.

“Hah!,” replied Elrohir, looking interestedly down the dark passage, “Wouldn’t it be great sport if we could catch it, then it would do our bidding, and we could scare someone with it. Maybe Glorfindel, or Ada–if we dare.”

“It will be worth a punishment just to have the amusement of Ada’s eyebrows, imagine that,” Elladan said, laughing softly, pausing at a large door to their left. The king of Mirkwood’s chambers. Legolas was probably in some inner bedroom of the spacious and multi-roomed chamber. The twins had begged Elrond to let Legolas stay near or in their own rooms, but neither he nor Thranduil would hear of it, no, not after last time.

Elrohir sighed. “I wish there was a way to get Legolas out of there so we could have some fun…” His voice trailed off.

Elladan’s thoughts were employed as well. Finally he snapped his fingers. “Remember those fireworks we lifted from Mithrandir last week? Well, borrowed, I mean, but imagine us and a bunch of explosives.”

Elrohir’s face lit up at the mention of this, and they moved away from the doors, towards the moon-lit gardens. “Me, you, and Legolas, if we can manage to kidnap him, fireworks and loud noises. A combination suited perfectly to us. How shall we get Blondie out here though?”

Elladan twisted his face in concentration for a moment, scuffing the toe of his boot on the floor, something he knew that his Ada couldn’t bear to see when he was present.

Elrohir soon grew bored of planning, and walked over to the far edge of the garden, flopping down on a bench most un-elf like and drawing out a small dagger that he was examining. He soon was lost in thoughts, until there came a small noise from behind. Jumping up and spinning around, Elladan grabbed Figwit. Figwit, not knowing who it was, thinking it an intruder of some sort or the other, stepped hard on Elladan’s foot, and a muffled yell and silent scuffle ensued.

A few minutes later Elrohir separated a panting Elladan from Figwit, who was rubbing a bruised arm. Elladan, however, was starting to grin. “Figwit,” he finally said, when he got his breath back, “Would you like to help us with something?”

Figwit raised his eyebrows and said nothing for a moment, but then said, “If I am guessing correctly, you two are up to no good.”

Elrohir replied jauntily, “Well, you aren’t expecting us to reply to such an untrue statement such as that, so we won’t. You have to have some fun and excitement in your life, Figwit, so you might as well get it with us, seeing as there is no one worthier of greatness in that department around here other than my twin and I. Besides, I could always casually remark to my father about the statue incident last month…” Elrohir’s voice trailed away, and there was a look of satisfaction to be read on his face as he and Elladan both realized they had the older elf in a corner, so to speak.

“Kindly tell me what to do, and quickly,” hissed Figwit between his teeth.

“See that vine–” said Elladan, interrupted by his brother.

“Scaling yonder lattice–” said Elrohir.

“That is our salvation,” finished Elladan, pointing to an ominous looking vine trailing the wall, on the other side of the dark and deserted courtyard.

“Git–feeeet—outta mmouth,” said Elladan around Figwit’s foot. They were in the middle of scaling the vine. Elrohir stood below them some way down and kept a lookout both on the courtyard and the elves climbing above him.

Hah, thought Elladan, trying to get better footing, He makes me go up here with Figwit. I bet Elrohir is very idly sitting watch down there, enjoying my dangerous journey.

Figwit reached the balcony a moment later, and Elladan waited on a vine below while Figwit snuck over the railing and into the room above. Victoriously Figwit came out a few moments later carrying a small form whose golden head was just visible in the moonlight. Elladan breathed a silent sigh of relief and began to scale back down the wall (which really wasn’t as big as you might imagine), all while the elfling slept soundly.

Elrohir grabbed Legolas from Elladan when he came within reach, and slowly set him down on a bench nearby. Figwit had chosen the “safer” route, and was quietly making his way down via the hallways, because he had unlocked Legolas’ door and gone through that.

“Legolas–wake up!” hissed Elrohir, shaking him. The elfling stirred, but did not awaken.

“He sleeps so soundly, just like you, Elrohir,” said Elladan, “But at least he doesnít snore like a troll!”

“‘Rohir snores?!” an inquiring voice came from the bench. Legolas sat up, apparently wide awake with interest.

“Aw, never you mind that, mellon nin,” Elrohir said, “Sometimes Elladan just gets a little too carried away. And anyways, we have an adventure for you tonight.”

Even at such an early age, Legolas had a smirk spreading across his small face. Elrohir tried hard not to roll his eyes, as he knew that the elfling would pick up on it quicker than he could do it.

“So?” Legolas said, looking from one twin to the other, “What’re we going to do?”

Elladan threw a firework gently to Elrohir, in fear of somehow setting it off. These were not just any of Gandalf’s (or Mithrandir, as the elves called him most of the time) fireworks; these were partly of elvish make, and very, very powerful. Which, of course, gave the twins all the more reason to use them.

Elrohir took a stack of fireworks over to a pile near the end of the courtyard, the safest place, the twins judged, to set them off where hopefully they didn’t do much damage. Legolas’ job was to be to climb to the right of the pile, and carefully blow on the wick, which was specially made so that it would light. Another reason the twins set him to this was that because the elfling was so small, and the pile was set where someone could easily spot one of the larger twins climbing up.

“Up–you–go,” grunted Elladan, pushing Legolas up onto the stack, then giving him a boost to the wall, from where he could bend over and reach the fireworks. Elrohir looked satisfactorily on as the elfling ascended the pile.

“He might make a fine climber yet,” Elrohir said out loud to Elladan as they waited underneath Legolas, who was climbing hand over hand more swiftly than they had expected of him. Elrohir gave a soft shout of encouragement as Legolas uneasily looked down as he was reaching the top of the pile. The brave elfling blew hard once upon the wick and the twins watched as it appeared to take light, and Legolas started to quickly spring down the wall. When he was little more than halfway down, Elrohir called, “Jump, Legolas–weíll catch you!”

Bravely the elfling let go and sprang into Elrohir and Elladan’s arms, laughing. “No time now,” said Elladan, setting Legolas down on the ground, “Come with us–we shall have a nice vantage point from the cliff if we do not tarry!”

The three rushed across the courtyard, with Legolas behind, half pouting and calling for the twins to wait up. They rushed to the other side of Imaldris, through the vast Great Hall and council area, out into the woods beyond that were still part of the elvish haven.

“Ready for more climbing, Legolas?” asked Elrohir, pointing to one tall tree that towered above them.

“I bet you I can do it better than both you and ‘Eldan combined,” said Legolas, beginning to swing himself, small feet scrambling, over the first branch. Elladan was about to point out that of course he himself was a champion climber, but a look from Elrohir silenced him on the matter.

“We have to stay below him, in case he falls,” whispered Elrohir.

“Legolas falling? The elfling practically grew up in a tree,” said Elladan, though he waited on the ground. The three of them soon reached the tree’s top bows, and settled in to wait for a good show. Legolas repeatedly kept leaning out, holding on with one hand, to look at the pile of fireworks, which were beginning to smoke.

“Look!” the elfling said excitedly, pointing, “It’s smoking, just like Gandalfís pipe!”

Elladan and Elrohir laughed uproariously. “Maybe he is onto something,” said Elrohir, “Maybe Ada will blame Mithrandir for the smoke and not us!”

“Of course!” answered Elrohir’s twin, “And they are his fireworks too–and they smell like the nasty pipe weed everyone hates so much.”

“I’ve always actually wanted to try that,” mused Elrohir, “Just to see if I could blow smoke shapes like Mithrandir.”

Since the fireworks were so large, it took a while for the big pile to fully go off. Elladan jumped and nearly drew a dagger when he heard a loud snort from behind. He turned, and there was his brother, sound asleep, and at intervals would let out a loud snort. Elladan glanced over and saw that Legolas, who was still awake, was watching Elrohir interestedly. Quietly the elfling pretended to mimic the sleeping Elrohir, producing bursts of muffled laughter from Elladan.

“Now, mellon nin, we have our evidence,” whispered Elladan, grinning, “Who would’ve ever thought an elf would snore? Humans maybe, but I say, highly strange for one of our own. It must be Elrohir’s gift, to be able–” Here he was cut short from his ramblings by an excited squeal from Legolas, who was pointing in the direction of the pile of fireworks. It had started to send up puffs of blue smoke and haze, and a few sparks flickered. Then, without warning, a loud bang resounded through the courtyard, followed by Elrohir nearly falling out of their tree. Pop! Snap! BANG! The fireworks were on their way to their few moments of greatness. Clouds of blue, green, purple, pink, even yellow went up, encircling Imaldris, while the three mischief makers watched from their safe vantage point.

“This last one better be good,” said a fully awake Elrohir, mesmerized as were all the others by the colorful display. His words turned out not to be in vain. All commotion and fireworks paused for a couple minutes, giving the false appearance that the show was over. It was not. A boom shook the eardrums of every elf in the vicinity, and a cascade of showers, stars, and pinwheels went rocketing into the night air.

“Magnificent,” breathed Elladan.

“Splendillious,” said Legolas. The twins didn’t even bother to correct him this time.

“Mesmerizingly gorgeous,” finished Elrohir for the three.

Elladan ran ahead, while Elrohir tried to carefully drag Legolas along behind him, and the elfling was complaining all the while that the twins were so mean that they wouldn’t let him spend the night sleeping in the wonderful, comfy tree. As they had expected, chaos ensued once they arrived back to the courtyard. The trio stopped at the outer wall and instead snuck around the back way to their rooms. They finally reached Elladan’s and Elrohir’s rooms, which were across the hall from each other.

“Greenleaf–do you know the way back?” asked Elladan.

Legolas stuck his tongue out only slightly before replying, “Of course I do, ‘Eldan.” He started to march away down the other side of the hall. Elrohir just shrugged and went into his own chambers.

Elladan jumped, startled into wakefulness. It was the early hours of the morning, judging by the moon. He sensed a growing threat outside, but heard no one else up and about. There were a few loud noises, as if something was knocking things over. Quietly he stood up, drew his dagger, and with one swift movement flung the door open and jumped back. No one was directly outside it, much to his relief. Through the darkness he could see Elrohir standing by the door to his room, wide eyed. Together they silently and cautiously walked into the courtyard, and looked around. Elladan dared not breathe a word.

Suddenly, both twins felt a freezing rain pour over them, as if they were being attacked. There stood Mithrandir, chuckling and congratulating the two others who had dumped water buckets over the twins’ heads.

Both twins stood, gaping. “Now you see what you have coming to you two rascals when you mess with my fireworks. Also, I believe I have someone else who sleepily denies it all.”

Mithrandir pulled Legolas out by the ear from behind a corner where the elfling had been hiding. “Oww, let go, it hurts!” whimpered Legolas, struggling against Mithrandir’s hold on him, “I tell my Ada if you don’t let go!” he finished fiercely. Legolas started yelling in the direction of his father’s chambers, and surprisingly to the twins Mithrandir didn’t stop them.

Thranduil came down quickly enough, hearing his son’s anguished sounding cries. He did not hesitate.
“Legolas, did you get in trouble again?” Legolas scowled and looked down at the ground.

“I believe he shall tell in his own good time, but I have good reason to believe that he was not the sole causer of it,” said Mithrandir, who had let go of Legolas and now had the twins by their pointy ears.

“So the fireworks were indeed not accidental?” asked Thranduil.

“It was great fun, while it lasted!” piped up Elladan hopefully. To his surprise, Mithrandir started chuckling.

“Although altogether a most useless and unworthy trick,” the wizard said, “That I’m sure taught you no lesson at all, but I will leave it to your father to teach you whatever it may be.”

Legolas raised his hand excitedly. “I learned something!”

Everyone turned to look at him, bobbing up and down, until his father said, “Well?”

“That Elrohir snores like a cave troll!”

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Sindarin Words:
Ada: Father
Mellon nin: My friend

Thanks for reading, and please review if you can! I should have another installment up shortly, yes, involving eyebrows, but you shall have to wait and see for yourself.