Mila (A Glorfindel Fanfiction)

Bonus Chapter: Nienna's Choice - Part 1

The twin elflings with glowing dark hair sneaked out of their dainty little house, tiny feet bouncing, bare against the blessed soil of Rivendell's forest that was covered with fluffy snow. The sound of their mischievous yet girlish giggles tinkling like bells at the wind as the duo stealthily escaped while their mother was distracted baking in the kitchen.

"No, Nina! This way!" little Nienna called her twin with a hushed, child-like tone, "This path is faster to get to the river. Follow me."

Nina halted and went to the other direction, skipping off following her younger twin sister through the path less traveled. A twig grazed her chubby cheek, making her grumble as she scratch the mark on the soft skin of her baby face.

"Yes. Through the heavily dense foliage and twigs. Brilliant," complained Nina, earning herself an eyeroll from Nienna.

"You're such a cry baby. That is but a scratch, you don't even spill blood. It will be healed by sundown," commented Nienna as the little elfling lead the path, "Worry not sister. I have walked this path before. I'll get us there to infinite fun and adventure. It will be all worth it," added Nienna confidently, her smile bright. To the little girls, the smell of earth, leaves and winter air was nothing short but wonder to the young elflings.

The two beautiful half-elven children ended up circling the path for half an hour before finding the river.

"You see Nienna, you act like you know everything while making us wasting daylight circling the bushes. If we had gone through the usual path, we'd be here already in ten minutes," grumbled Nina, brushing leaves, snow flakes and tiny twigs off of her dress.

"And risk mom seeing us from the kitchen window?" Nienna, the perfect split image of her sister retorted back.

"Don't be smart with me, I'm older than you!" Nina said patronizingly, thinking she sounded grown up in that tone, then splashed water from the Bruinen River to her sister's face, making Nienna squealed in both surprise and delight.

The two elflings soon forgot their disagreement and went around playing water by the river, getting all their dresses soaked with freezing cold water-a mere annoyance that could never be enough to stop the two elflings from enjoying their play time.

"One... Two..."

"...Three! Rrrrrr...!" exclaimed both beautiful elflings in unison before they submerged and dunked their heads in the river to see which of them can hold their breaths the longest.

Nina made faces underwater, making her sister laughed, causing big bubbles of air to escape her tiny mouth. The view was highly amusing to Nina, which in turn caused her to laugh underwater too. In revenge, little Nienna playfully pushed Nina, causing the older twin sister to lose her hold on the rock by the edge of the river.

Little Nina had her little body being dragged by the current of the river, causing her to have to take a breath to the surface. "Awwh, Nienna. Ugh..." she mumbled in disappointment at losing the breath holding competition with her twin.

Having heard her sister's grumble with her keen elven hearings, Nienna resurfaced afterwards with a huge grin on her baby face, laughing when she saw her sister being pulled away by the current like a log of dead wood.

"Can you at least help me out here?" Nina called out, coughing a bit as water got in her mouth as she failed at trying to get ahold of something to stop being dragged away by the current.

Nienna laughed gaily. Being much more adventurous and bold out of the two, she proceeded to release her hold and bravely swam with the current toward Nina. Perhaps, it was their elven nature and their strength that they inherit from their father; perhaps it was their young age, but the twins think of the river current as nothing but a fun adventure. Nienna, even more so. Even only as elfling, already she showed a remarkable agility as she treaded what would be a potentially dangerous current for mortals that can't swim.