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Title: Shut The Door on the Way Out! (#1395)
Author: Forest
Chapters: 1

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: A bad day is always better with a friend - especially one who enjoys peppermint tea.
Published: 22 Nov 2004
Updated: 22 Nov 2004
Warnings:
Type: Humour
Characters: Erestor; Glorfindel; Elladan; Elrohir


Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

Title: Shut The Door on the Way Out!
Author: Forest
Rating: G
Cast: Erestor, Glorfindel, Elladan, Elrohir
Disclaimer: I own no one from The Lord Of The Rings. All the characters and place names displayed belong to JRR Tolkien. I do not intend to, nor am I making any financial gain from the writing of this story.
Feedback: Yes please! .
Summary: A bad day is always better with a friend.



Erestor had had a particularly bad day. He had misplaced several important files, smashed a bottle of ink all over his desk and robes, been late for dinner, been a victim of yet another one of the twins’ stupid pranks and only now had me managed to find some spare time to sit down with a nice cup of hot sweet tea and do nothing.

With a relaxed sigh, he kicked off his shoes (but being orderly, got up and tidied them away) and put his comfy fluffy slippers on. He dragged the cushioned footstool across the room to where his armchair was, collected his edition of ‘Minstrel Monthly’ (Erestor was very interested in the music culture) and settled down with a nice plumped-up cushion.

Smiling to himself, Erestor lifted the cup to his lips…

BANG!!!!

With a yelp, Erestor leapt close to five foot in the air in shock. The ornate cup flew out of his hands and smashed most delicately on the floor leaving a steaming puddle of once drinkable nice sweet tea.

Erestor scrambled to his feet, a murderous glint in his chocolate eyes.

‘Someone-is-going-to-pay-for-this!’ he hissed through gritted teeth and without bothering to clean up the mess, he stormed out of the room like an enraged bull, robes billowing out behind him as he went.

It did not take the incensed advisor long to locate the source of the noise. In a corridor, the twins were ‘swordfighting’ using wooden sticks. On the floor lay what had been an antique vase which now could have been helpful for use in an intricate mosaic.

Feeling like smoke would start pouring out of his ears at any moment, Erestor strode up to the pair and grabbed them by the scruffs.

‘WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?’ he yelled.

Elladan gulped. ‘I…er….that is…we….uhm…were…I mean – ‘

‘WELL?’

Both twins stared at their feet. ‘Sorry Erestor’ they mumbled in sync.

‘Sorry? Ha! You will be’ Erestor replied grimly. Striding over to a cupboard nearby, he retrieved a broom, a dustpan and bush, a mop and a bucket and thrust them into the twins’ arms.

‘I want to see this corridor spick and span in an hour, or trust me there are worse punishments that can be arranged.’

With that Erestor turned on his heel and strode off in the opposite direction, leaving the twins looking completely lost for words.

At the end of the corridor, a light-hearted chuckle sounded from a room a few paces back.

Erestor whipped around and what he saw took him all his strength to prevent him from attacking. Glorfindel stood framed in a doorway, smirking to himself and shaking his head in mock despair.

‘Erestor, Erestor, Erestor…what are we going to do with you?’

Erestor stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’ he replied sharply.

‘You know, you really should work on that temper of yours’ Glorfindel replied, somewhat thoughtfully. ‘Have you tried Salerei’s “Cage the Rage” technique? Wonderful book. I recommend it highly.’

Erestor did not reply. He didn’t quite trust himself to speak. Instead he contented himself by staring at Glorfindel as though daring him to cross the line.

‘I’ve just made some tea’ Glorfindel continued, ‘Got a bit of time?’

Erestor seemed to simmer a little at these words and he nodded. ‘Alright, but no more lectures, please Fin.’

‘You have my word’ Glorfindel smiled and walked back inside his quarters, with Erestor following.

*
‘You made them clean the whole corridor?’

Glorfindel broke into a hearty laugh as he poured Erestor a cup of peppermint tea.

Erestor nodded and chuckled. ‘Serves them right I say. More could have been broken than that vase, you know.’

Glorfindel handed him his tea and sat down. ‘True,’ he replied, ‘it was highly amusing nonetheless to see you bellowing yourself hoarse at them. Poor kids, I thought they were going to fall the floor the way they were staring at it.’

‘Poor kids?’ Erestor repeated disbelieving what he had just heard. ‘Number one Fin, they aren’t kids. They’re grown up elves. Number two, you have never been on the receiving end of one of their tiresome pranks, so I’m afraid “poor” doesn’t quite fit the equation.”’

Glorfindel smiled. ‘Always so serious, aren’t you, Erestor?’

‘Well, one of us needs to be’ replied Glorfindel, setting down his cup. ‘You need to kick back a bit, Erestor. Learn to relax.’

‘Why? You’re kicking back enough for the both of us’ retorted Erestor with a grin, ‘besides, I’m serious when I need to be. I’ve known to have my wild side, at times’ he added, blushing slightly.

Glorfindel leant forward, intrigued. ‘Go on’ he coaxed, ‘where has “wild Erestor” been hiding all these centuries?’

‘He has been indisposed’ replied Erestor. ‘Besides, I don’t think it is any of your business what “wild Erestor” gets up to. Sticking your nose in where it’s not wanted- I call it grotesque!’

‘It certainly is my business what “wild Erestor” gets up to’ Glorfindel smirked, leaning back in his chair, ‘if I had known someone who had been indisposed for years, you’d question me about his welfare I suppose? I’d think it most unkind if you did not.’

‘Well that is your view on the matter, Fin. And where your view is concerned it tends to be none the less than frivolous.’

‘And what is wrong, may I ask with a little frivolity in one’s life? Being immortal one simply cannot even begin to consider the idea of being serious all the time. It could make you very unwell.’

Erestor sighed. ‘Alright. One time, I may show you what “wild Erestor” gets up on occasions, but that will undoubtedly be many centuries from now.’

Glorfindel’s face broke into a triumphant grin and he raised his cup to Erestor. ‘I’ll hold you to that, my friend.’


*

Around an hour later, Erestor rose from his chair. ‘I ought to be making a move, Fin’ he said, setting his empty cup down on the side table.

‘Yes, it is getting a little late now, isn’t it?’ replied Glorfindel. ‘Besides, you never know when “wild Erestor” may want to nip down to the wine cellars or do something on a whim. Best get back, Erestor, he might even be there now!’

‘Oh, shut up!’ snapped Erestor, but even he couldn’t prevent the chuckle that then escaped him.

‘I’m glad we had this little chat, Erestor,’ said Glorfindel with a grin, ‘It has certainly been very enlightening. Oh and remember, Salerei’s “Cage the Rage”.’

Erestor smirked. ‘I’ll put it on my to-do list, Fin.’

Glorfindel nodded. ‘Be sure you do, there’s some sound advice in there, I can tell you.’

The advisor sighed mock exasperation and made his way to the door. ‘I’ll be off now, Fin. I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘Be sure to give my regards to your twin in hiding, won’t you?’ called back Glorfindel. ‘Oh and shut the door on the way out, would you. It can get quite nippy in here this time of year if it’s left open.’

‘I’ll be sure to do both’ replied Erestor with a grin and with that, the advisor shut the door and made his way swiftly back to his quarters along the corridor which, oddly enough to passers-by, now shone like a new pin.






~*End*~
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