By Alku04

Word Count: 3143

Rating: G

Summary: Arwen’s brothers take a break during an orc-hunt before the events of The Lord of the Rings.

The wind blew casually in the bright afternoon sun, playing with the plant life that grew on the banks of the Bruinen River as it passed. Green blades of grass swayed in a hypnotic dance while the clouds in the sky made a slow retreat toward the east. Never had the sky looked so blue before, nor the water so clear or the grass so green.

Elrohir let out a sigh as he lay on the ground looking up to study the ever-changing shapes of the puffy white atmospheric creations. His head was pillowed on his hands that were knit together, and he crossed a leg over his bent knee, bouncing it absently.

He chanced a glance at his twin brother who lay beside him trying to see if he had occupied himself with any activity, but his twin was in much the same position he was. However, Elladan had closed his eyes to cut off the sense of sight, allowing his ears to hear the burble of the running river, his exposed skin to feel the passing wind. The solid earth surrounded him and he let his nose savor the pleasant freshness that emanated from the forest.

The elves had been in that position for the better part of the morning, wallowing in the peaceful calm that they seemed to never be able to find as of late. Nearly every day was consumed with the hunt and destruction of any orc forces they could come across, letting their hatred fuel their need to slaughter the dark and foul creatures that ultimately took their mother from them and drove their family apart.

But today, they needed a break. Neither elf needed to say so, for they could feel an unnatural weariness settle over them and for the first time in many long months, their day was not spent consumed by their dark norm. Today was a day to relax and rest, if only to prepare them for their next hunt.

Elrohir turned his attention back to the sky and let out another sigh. Each time he breathed out, he could feel a haunting weight being chipped away and he breathed deep, only to let it out in a relaxed huff for a third time.

“Sshhh,” Elladan commanded as he resettled himself and folded his hands across his chest, never opening his eyes.

Elrohir looked sharply to his brother and frowned, not pleased with being told what to do. However, he did not have it in him at the moment to retaliate. His eyes sought the sky once more and he let his mind go off where it wanted. The clouds before his eyes held recognizable shapes and he recalled many occasions in his younger days when their mother would take them out to this very spot to cloud gaze and point out the shapes they saw.

There is a heart…. And a fox’s head…. That one looks like two fish swimming up river, the elf thought to himself and continued to pick out the shapes that he could see. A rather large cloud came into view and the elf could feel a smoldering burn begin in his insides. That one looks like a hunchbacked orc…

“Do you think we will be able to kill them all?” Elrohir asked out loud with no thought to the words he was speaking. “Orcs, I mean?”

“I would like to,” Elladan stated with a yawn. “But you know that is near impossible. The forces of Middle-earth have been dealing with them for centuries, even before we were born. I doubt the two of us are the answer to the world’s problems. But I do think you and I can keep them away from home, at least. That would be my goal.”

“I wish it could go back to the way it used to be,” the younger twin said gloomily and watched as the orc cloud in the sky was swept off and molded by the wind into another shape.

“Wish what could?”

“Life…”

Elladan did not comment back.

The silence took over again and Elrohir began looking at the other sights to be seen before his eyes. Tree branches loomed overhead and a squirrel was scrambling through the thin, twig-like upper branches trying to search for something eatable through the clusters of nuts that were far too green to be ripe. A spider’s web blew in the air currents while the tiny arachnid rode the wave of air in its threaded home, unfazed by the disturbance it caused. A wood thrush chirped noisily and the hammering of a woodpecker drilled the forest, adding a steady rhythm to nature’s song around them. Each creature seemed to be at peace and was content to carry out its life as it was intended to, playing vital, yet small roles in everyday life in Middle-earth.

Elrohir let off his fourth sigh. Sometimes he wished he could be like a small, unassuming creature. Or even a creature of might. Actually, he wished he could be anything different. That would be a nice change – to see the world in a different light, to not care about orcs or goblins, nor feel the threat of shadows that were ever-present at your doorstep.

“Elladan?… If you could be anything other than an elf, what would you be?”

“Hum?” the older twin asked. He heard the question directed to him, but it was unexpected and he did not know how to react.

“If you could take on a new form and a new life, even for just a short while, what would you choose?”

“Where is this coming from?”

Elrohir shrugged his shoulders, but the action was lost to his brother who kept his sights restricted to the back of his eyelids. “It is just a question that came to mind… something to ponder over.”

Elladan smirked and shook his head, but did not answer. He went back to trying to enjoy the peace, but Elrohir was content talking. Elrohir rolled over to lie on his side and watched his brother’s unmoving form as he rambled off his thoughts.

“I think… I would be…. a dragon,” Elrohir said carefully and watched to see how his twin would react to such a wish.

“A dragon?!” Elladan’s eyes snapped open and he turned his head at an odd angle to look at his brother. “Why on earth would you want to be a dragon?”

“Well, why not?” Elrohir defended lightly. “A great, strong serpent. Something of legends and tales. I think it would be different and worth trying out… besides, I think it would be rather aweing to be able to breathe fire… do you not agree? I wonder how they do it.”

“They breathe out.”

Elrohir gave his brother an unamused frown. “I know that, but they would have to do something to get the fire going, right? What do they do? And I wonder if their throat hurts after…”

Elladan’s brows knit in as he gave off a huffed, half-chuckle. “I sometimes wonder about you…Where did you get this idea from? Have you been drinking with Glorfindel again?”

“Oh, come now, have you not looked at a creature and wondered what it would be like to live like them? Good or bad? I know dragons are not the most loved creatures, but in my opinion, they do not lead a very terrible life. They are not set on death and destruction like an orc. If you leave them alone, they leave you alone.”

“And what is it about a dragon’s life that makes it so appealing to you?” Elladan turned back to his previous position, but this time kept his eyes open and looked out into the bright sky.

“Well, for one, they get to sleep peacefully, in a mountain –”

“So you want to be a lazy dragon?… A sloth?” Elladan looked again to his brother, getting a glimpse of surprise on his face that was a result of his witty remark. He grinned wickedly and looked back to the sky. “You need not be a dragon for that. You manage quite well on your own as an elf.”

Elrohir gave his mirror image a swat for the brotherly insult. “You nit!”

“So if you could choose from any animal, creature, or person, you would be a dragon to see what it is like to be able to breathe fire and sleep in a cave?”

“Well, not just that…”

“What else is there to being a dragon? Fear? Terror?”

“Gold.”

“Gold?”

“Yes… you know of their love of gold.  Can you image having a dragon’s horde of it? Mountains and mountains of it?”

Elladan thought it over for a moment. “…It would be a lot,” he admitted.

“A lot?  Lost for words, are you? If I were a dragon, I’m sure I would have more gold than I would know what to do with!”

“If you were a dragon, there would be nothing you could do with it!” Elladan pointed out.

Elrohir’s face seemed to drain of any emotion and he stared blankly at his twin. “What do you mean?”

“You really think a dragon has any use for gold?” Elladan’s smile was bemused. “When was the last time you saw one in a market buying honey cakes from the baker? Hum? Or buying tools or other necessities?”

Elrohir thought. “Well… they do not eat honey cakes.”

“Elrohir,” Elladan reproached. “Gold is completely worthless to a dragon.”

“Then why do they hoard it so?”

“Jealousy, maybe…I do not know, I’m not a dragon so I do not know why it consumes their obsession. But think… if you were a dragon, even a good dragon, and you had all the gold a dragon’s lair could hold, how would it serve you? If you went to a market to buy provisions, what do you think would happen?”

Elrohir thought for a moment. “Well, I would be so large, I would probably destroy the village.”

“And the people would run from you in a terror. You would never get a chance to buy anything because no one would serve you. So with that point, what would gold do for you as a dragon? You could not use it for any value.”

“You are making this far more complicated than it needs to be, Elladan,” Elrohir said and flopped back to the earth with a huff. This was supposed to be a game and something to talk about, but all Elladan wanted to do was offer pessimistic remarks. “A bear, then.”

“A bear… why a bear?”

“They too are strong animals… almost a king of the forest. And rather than need gold to buy honey cakes that a dragon cannot get… well… I could eat all the honey I wanted instead.”

“You should have more reason than eating honey to want to be a bear for a lifetime.”

“They have no duties to tend to. They lumber around in the woods eating all day and preparing dens for hibernation.”

“Again with the sleeping…”

Elrohir puffed in annoyed anger. “Well then, what would your perfect alternate identity be? An annoying mosquito that buzzes in one’s ear?”

Elladan laughed at the insult, which made Elrohir scowl. “A mosquito… that would be an interesting life, would it not?”

“It would be a terrible life!”

“I think… if I had to choose to be another creature… I would be… I think I would be a bird.”

Elrohir blinked blankly before responding with, “That’s it?… A bird?”

“Aye.”

“Like an eagle?”

“Well….” Elladan actually considered it, but fell silent as the thought faded out.

“An owl?”

“Nay, not an owl… Too many people associate bad omens with them. I do not want to be hated for what I truly am. I think I would be songbird of sorts… a golden finch, or a scarlet tanager, even a common wren.”

“Why? There is nothing… grandly magnificent about them.”

“Well, it would be my choice and would not need to be grand or magnificent to have perfect life as a songbird. I think they live a happy little life as they flit around in treetops all day and sing songs on a whim.”

“I think that would be so boring…” Elrohir rolled his eyes as he spoke. “No excitement!”

“At least I would not be sleeping all day as a dragon or bear might.”

“I am not that lazy! You know, sometimes I just think it would be nice to get a break from constantly needing to do something! And If I want to just sleep for a month, then… why not?”

Elladan laughed. “But there is so much in this world to see. I would not want to sleep and miss it. Think of what you could do as a bird… you could fly anywhere.”

“You could fly if you were a dragon.” Elrohir offered.

“I do not want to be a dragon. I want to be a bird… to fly in the wind wherever I wanted to. I could fly to Lothlorien and see Arwen any time I wanted,” he said.

“She would not recognize you! Arwen would probably shoo you away with your terrible songs,” Elrohir teased.

After a moment, Elladan opened his mouth to speak, but his tone of voice was soft and distant, almost as if a heartache suddenly gripped it and left him with little air to speak.

“I could fly over the sea to see Nana (mother),” he said seriously.

All of a sudden, Elrohir became very still and quiet after his brother’s comment. This was no laughing matter anymore. The joyous mood had shattered and was carried off by the wind that made another pass.

Elrohir suddenly wished he too was a bird.

The brothers lost themselves in thought as the clouds continued to pass overhead, and as if being able to read the thoughts of loss, Elladan reached out and placed a comforting hand on his twin’s shoulder, offering as much silent support that he could spare without abandoning his own hurt.

This was not what this talk was supposed to be about. It was unbelievable how this little conversation, meant to lighten a mood, had suddenly changed and now the brothers were reluctant to speak.

Elrohir took charge of the conversation and forced it in another direction. They spent too much time weeping over their mother, and currently spent too much time consumed in their hate for orcs. They were out here for a break, after all, and the younger brother was not about to lose the easy day to mourning.

“Well, I know a bird that would suit you best,” Elrohir whispered as the remains of sorrow clung to him, but he did his best to speak around it.

“Oh?” Elladan asked. He swept a finger across his eyes to catch the moisture quickly before the tears of loss rolled down his face. He was actually eager to hear what his brother thought and what species would be a good match for him. It would offer a distraction to the pain flaring up on the inside. Knowing Elrohir, he would choose some outlandish bird, some sort of formidable predator that led a noble life amid the forest.

“A turkey,” Elrohir said, and no sooner had the words left his mouth than the younger twin exploded into a fit of laughter. The look of disbelieving shock on Elladan’s face and the mental picture of his older brother as the large dumpy fowl left him in a stitch fit.

“A…. turkey?!” Elladan retorted, and he sat up and glared at his twin who was rolling on the ground holding his stomach, trying to quell the mirth.

“Aye! A fat, clumsy, ugly bird!” Elrohir said between the tears of laughter.

Elladan huffed. He was not amused. “Well, I think you would be best suited as a snail. You have your bed on your back and can sleep at a moment’s notice,” he sneered, doing his best to retaliate with a comeback. However, the insult failed in comparison to his brother’s turkey comment. Elrohir was still giggling, though he was trying to conceal it. “It was not that funny, Ro,” Elladan protested, but knew his brother had him good. He could feel the heat emanating from his cheeks as he flushed after being the butt of the terrible joke.

Elrohir breathed deeply and wiped a sleeve across his face to banish the streaks of humor that were still coursing down his face.

“I swear it, you spend far too much time with Glorfindel,” Elladan said and shook his head, though traces of a smile were present upon his lips.

Elrohir sat up as well and grinned widely at his twin. He shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to say to that and not willing to talk again. He could still feel the laughter churning on the inside and if he made a peep, he knew his self-control would be lost and he would not be able to help but laugh out again.

There was a pause between the brothers and the wind made another gentle pass, beckoning the twins to carry on, a trait that the wind itself was well-known for.

“What else would you choose to be?” Elladan asked. There was a particular sparkle in his eyes, even though the conversation had turned against him. Elladan could not recall the last time he had seen his brother smile like this, nor the last time he himself could find joy in anything. For the first time in a long time he felt the traces of easy joy flood his system.

“Me?” Elrohir asked. He was taken aback that his brother wanted to hear more of his odd thoughts, but he cocked his head and pondered over all the creatures he could think of at the moment. “A lion!”

“Oh, of course a mighty lion!” Elladan laughed. “Dragons, bears, lions! Always one for excitement! Are you sure you would not want to be a mouse… or a shrew?”

“A shrew?!” Elrohir spat. “A shrew?” he asked again. “Who would ever think to be a shrew?!”

“Well it is a creature you could choose from, is it not?” Elladan chuckled.

“Leave it to you to choose the boring animals… songbirds and shrews!” Elrohir fell back to the earth to gaze up at the sky again. Elladan followed suit. “Why could you not choose a badger?!”

“You would not want to be badger! You know they do not get much sleep.”

“I am not lazy!”

The sound of laughter from both brothers filtered through the forest as they continued to fire off their idea of a better life. Though right now, each of them knew as long as they had each other at their side, they would never really want to be anything other than an elf.