The Littlest Warrior

Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump. This was the sound to which Elrohir Elrondion awoke. Thump, thump… there it was again; obviously his little brother was awake, for only Estel could find a way to wake the entire household in one fell swoop. His latest joy was jumping, or as he liked to put it “bed bouncin’.” Every morning for the last month he had tried to persuade his brothers to join him in his newest pastime, seeing how high he could bounce in the middle of his bed. His goal was to one day bounce high enough to touch the canopy over his bed two times before he landed back on the mattress. So far he hadn’t managed to touch it even once, but this was not a fact that was likely to deter Estel…he was nothing if not persistent. The sounds of giggles and the occasional “Wheee” could be heard from one end of the corridor to the other, and Elrohir was still amazed at how his father and Elladan managed to sleep through the noise. Swinging his legs off the bed he slowly slipped into his dressing gown and smiled softly as yet another “Wheee” could be heard coming from the chamber next door.

“He is in rare form this morning,” Elrohir said to no one who could hear, as he quietly crossed the chamber to the door that connected Estel’s room to his, “Well at least he waited until the sun was fully up this time,” he laughed. As he entered the room his little brother was in mid-bounce, on his way back down to the mattress as another loud “Wheeee” escaped his smiling face.

“Morrrnnnnnnin’ Roh” he said as he went flying into the air, only to come sailing back down again.

“Good morn to you tithen pen, I see you are playing your flying game again,” he said as he moved to rekindle the dying embers in Estel’s fireplace.

“Yuuuuuppppp! Wanna play?”

“No little brother, I think I will pass on that one…I am just a little too…tall… to be bouncing on the bed.”

“Westorrrrr is big like you, an he bounces with meeeeeeeeee,” the little one ground out before his elder brother managed to get a hold on him and anchor him to the mattress.

Turning back to the hearth Elrohir added two new logs to the fire as he questioned the child, “Erestor bounces on the bed with you tithen pen?”

“Yup,” the little one quipped as he hung upside down off the edge of the bed and gave his brother a look that said, “didn’t you know that?”

“Does this happen often Estel?” he asked as he sat down beside his brother.

“Uh-huh, Westor and Glorfy have a great big bed,” he said as he emphasized the size of the bed by stretching his arms as far out to the side as they would go, “an Westor and me bounce on it all da time.”

“How long have you been doing this Estel?” Roh asked as he tried to keep a straight face.

“Ev’va since I was liddle.”

“Oh, that long ‘eh?”

“Yup!”

“We don’ do it so much now dat I am big, cause Glorfy caught us and said Westor was a big silly.”

“A big silly?”

“Yup. He said Westor was a big silly elf an laughed all da way down da stairs to noon meal. Westor had to run behind him and make him pwamice not to tell.”

“He did?”

“Yup.”

“Where was I while all of these interesting events were taking place?”

“Patrol.”

“So then what happened?”

“Westor told Glorfy to put his hosen in his mouth.”

By this time Elrohir was just about in stitches, “He said what? Are you sure you heard him correctly ‘Stel?”

“Yup. Glorfy was laffin’ so hard, Westor said ‘Put your hosen in it Glorfy – and don’ you dare tell anybody’.”

Through his chuckling, Elrohir managed somehow to get his next question out, “What happened then little brother?”

Estel stood up on the bed to demonstrate, making sure Elrohir got the full effect of Erestor’s threat. Placing his hand on his hip, Estel leaned forward and pointed his little forefinger right at Elrohir’s nose and said “Westor said, Glorfy, if you udder one word, as much as a sil…sil..”

“Syllable?” his brother offered.

“Yeth, that, if you udder one sil-bull to any body I gonna make you life mis–a-ble!”

Elrohir nearly rolled off the bed laughing. Through chuckles, and flat out bellowing laughter, Roh rolled back and forth on the bed with his arms wrapped around his middle. Seeing how much he was entertaining his older brother, Estel, big grin in place, proceeded to divulge even more ‘sensitive’ information for Elrohir’s ears.

“Den Glorfy said, ‘I gonna tell ev’vabody I see, you not gonna bully me out of dis one. Den Glorfy started jumpin’ up and down makin’ his robes fly up in the air like Westor’s did.”

Elrohir was finished – he was done, he slowly rolled off the mattress and onto the small carpet at the side of Estel’s bed, just as Elrond entered the room. Seeing his second son rolling on the floor in near hysterics while his youngest peered over the edge of the bed giggling uncontrollably sent Elrond into a laugh-fest of his own. The ancient elf stood there momentarily just laughing at the sight of these two so thoroughly enjoying themselves, before he heard a voice at his back, “What is going on?”
Turning he found Erestor standing there looking puzzled. As Elrohir slowly began to regain control, he opened his eyes and upon seeing Erestor, grabbed at his stomach with one hand and howled ever louder as he pointed at Erestor with the other.

Erestor, confused smile in place, wandered in asking again ”What is going on?”

“I am not sure,” answered Elrond, “…but these two seem to be having quite a good time.” Turning back to the scene on the floor Elrond inquired “What are the two of you up to this morning?”

Elrohir, having seen Erestor, could not get his laughing under control. Each time it seemed as though he would bring it to a stop, he looked up at the staid, reserved counselor in his neatly pressed burgundy robes and the laughter started anew. Finally Estel piped up and offered his unique explanation.

“Mornin’ Ada!” he quipped as he scrambled down from the bed. Rushing over to his father he wrapped himself around his father’s legs, and looking up at the tall elf Estel grinned widely saying,

“I was tellin’ Roh ‘bout when…”

Elrohir quickly rolled to his knees and clamped his hand over his brother’s mouth, interrupting any further comment Estel intended to make.

“Oh no little brother,” he said conspiratorially, “that shall remain just between the two of us, and I hereby swear you to an oath of secrecy!”

Estel, who loved secrets and sworn oaths better than anyone was quick to agree. Pulling Elrohir’s hand away from his mouth he nodded enthusiastically and readily concurred. Quickly placing his hand over his heart he swore the ‘Elrondion Oath of Secrecy’.

“I Estel Elwondion pwamice not to bweathe a word to a livin’ soul,” he paused then trying to remember the rest of the often used oath that his brothers had concocted to protect all their most private secrets and jokes. Elrohir offered the needed prompt, “Under….”

“Oh yeth I ‘member now…Under pain of…of…” he searched his mind again, and finally came up with the answer,

“Under pain of da waff of Elwond!” he said proudly, then looking up at his father he said, “Sorry Ada, iss a secret now, can’t tell!”

Elrond gave Elrohir ‘the look’; he did not welcome his youngest son being sworn to keep secrets from him, and said as much as Elrohir dodged out of his reach.

“Elrohir Elrondion you come back here! I do not appreciate secrets being kept from me under my own roof! Come back here at once you young scalawag!”

The youngest twin ducked under his father’s outstretched hand and darted towards the connecting door. Reaching the door he looked purposefully at Erestor and then ‘bounced’ the last three steps through the door locking it as soon as it closed behind him. “Sorry Ada,” he yelled through the door, “but by now you ought to know how it is between brothers…we always have our secrets! Right Estel?” he yelled through the locked door trying to assure himself that his little brother wouldn’t ‘cave in’ under their father’s withering glance.

“Right!” Estel yelled back, then before his father could speak Estel shook his head ‘no’, raised his little hand and waggled his forefinger at his father saying, “Do not even try it Ada…brudder’s have secrets, you said so, ” then he turned and skipped into his bathing chamber saying as he went, “…come on Ada, I hafta do my bubbles so we can go break fast.”

Elrond stood there dumbfounded as Erestor tried to stifle a grin. Looking at his chief counselor he said resignedly, “I thought I was finished with this sort of thing when they reached their majority. Now it seems that I am starting all over again from scratch. Remind me not to tell Estel anything else about Elros and me…or the Lórien three…,” then turning back to Erestor he shouted, “and especially not about the twins!” Picking up Estel’s small dressing gown from the end of the bed he grumbled under his breath as he headed in to assist Estel with his morning ablutions, as Erestor dissolved into laughter against the doorframe.