All Who Wander Are Not Lost

Chapter 3

The sound of swords clanging interrupted the peaceful afternoon, bringing many elves to a halt in their afternoon activities and duties. It was accompanied by laughter and grunts, making the listeners relax as they realized that it was not something to worry about. Slowly people began to move, carrying on with small chuckles or smirks on their faces as they realized what, or rather who might be in the training fields that afternoon. The brother's were often known to have laughter and teasing accompany their sparring matches.

"I told you that I was getting better, Elrohir, you just didn't believe me!" A voice chortled in victory, blocking the onslaught of blows that their opponent was raining upon them with ease.

"Getting better? This is better? I thought you were still learning the positions and how to lung, neth!" Elrohir replied, lunging forward in a swift fluid like movement.

"Nay, I passed that part of my training years ago, Elrohir, you just didn't know because I was keeping it a secret," she laughed, taking her turn to retaliate for her brother's pounding with quick jabs and rough thwacks that forced him to give up ground.

He gritted his teeth and raising his sword to fend off her flashing sword, he rolled his eyes. She had definitely kept it a good secret, he had no idea how long that she had been practicing for. He movements were polished; she had the poise of someone who practiced for long hours devotedly. She seemed to know how to look at an opponent and be able to tell their next move even before they themselves knew, which irritated him to no end. Growling as her blade whistled close to his ear, he side-stepped her last swing and ducked underneath her blade, avoiding having his head taken off by a split second.

"How long have you been practicing and with who? Achasdir has been busy with Elladan, myself and others, Glorfindel has been in Imladris on and off for the last year and a half that I'm sure that it can't have been him, so who?" He panted as she clashed blades with him.

"Oh, a little over, lets see, one," she retreated,"two, maybe three," her sword dove forward to his, and with a quick twist and a strong yank upwards his own was thrown spinning into the air to land on the cropped grass feet away.

Jaw hanging, he stared at her in awe and puzzlement,"Try ten and a little, by Glorfindel no less," she paused and watched as miraculously his jaw dropped lower in shock,"You might want to shut your mouth little brother, you are going to catch flies with it."

"What? He stopped training Elladan and I years ago, said that he had something of importance or some such thing to attend to and that he wouldn't be able to continue as our teacher," He mumbled out loud, walking over to his fallen weapon.

She raised an eyebrow and waited.

Spinning around, eyes wide in accusation he shouted,"That was you! Your were the important thing that pulled him away from the training field?"

She blushed in shame, and pride. Having known that her brothers had lamented for weeks, wondering why their teacher had decided to leave them to another one of the other instructors, they had felt abandoned. She had had to put up with them being sour for the first week and no one had been able to get them out of their gloomy mood, not even their mother. He father had ended up giving them more lessons to complete because they were getting on everyone's nerves with their complaining. She had felt awful about keeping her secret, but Glorfindel had assured her that it was fine; her brother's needed to learn from someone else to give them a variety in their training, a different perspective to use.

"I was..." softly.

"But he's been gone, who have you been practicing with?" He pestered.

"Umm...with Magoldor?"