Not Again?!

Chapter 11

     As the familiar landscape of Imladris vanished behind them, Elladan smirked at his twin.  The worries of the past day were put aside for the moment as he planned to tease Elrohir.  "I saw that Ioreth came after you and didn't even look at me.  Has anything of importance happened?"

     "Not really.  I invited her to sit with us at supper last night, and she accepted."  Elrohir leveled his brother with a stern look.  "Which you would have known if you'd been there."

     "You're the one that send Ada after me."

     Elrohir shrugged, accepting that, and they rode in silence for a few moments.  Sneaking a glance down at his closed palm, Elrohir carefully opened it to see what Ioreth had given him.  It was a fragile flower, golden petals fluttering slightly.  It an Isilotsë flower, Elrohir realized as he remembered the flower Ioreth had gotten so excited over yesterday.  A small smile crept across his face as he slid the flower in a pocket on his tunic.

     Elladan caught the movement and grinned to himself, but decided not to comment on it.  His brow furrowed as he recalled listening to the patrol captain speaking to Glorfindel.  "El, did you tell anyone where we were going?"

     "I didn't talk to anybody when I was getting ready to go," his twin replied.

     "No one knows where we're going then.  If anything bad happens - "

     "Oh, I'm sure they'll figure it out, if they haven't already.  Erestor was watching from the window of Ada's study when we left.  He'll probably tell Ada that we left, Glorfindel will remember the report about the orcs, and they'll know where we're going."  Elrohir's dissection of the problem was quick and absolute, and Elladan nodded in agreement.  "You're right - "

     "As always?"

     "I was going to say, little brother."

     Elrohir, after centuries of being called that, still didn't have a good reply.  He just snorted, and a glance out of the corner of his eye showed that Elladan winced when his horse tugged sharply on the reins.  "El, is your shoulder bothering you?"

     "It's slightly sore, but I'll be fine."

     "Your definition of fine, or Ada's?"

     Elladan graced his brother with a glare and changed the subject.  "The patrol captain said the yrch were about twenty miles past the river.  We should find their tracks in about two hours, if we keep riding at this pace."

     "Unless you want to race . . . ?"  Elrohir suggested, smirking.  The horses, snorting, seemed to agree.

     "Whoever loses is a rotten orch," said Elladan.  "And if you shove me into the river like you did last time . . . "  He trailed off and left the threat hanging.

     His twin just rolled his eyes and gathered his reins, patting his stallion.  "Ready, Hinnor?"   The gold-red horse whinnied in agreement and readied himself to spring into a gallop.  He'd been Elrohir's mount since a young stallion, and was used to the races his rider would jump in at any time.

     "On the count of three," Elladan suggested, preparing his own horse.  Elrohir nodded in agreement, and they both tensed on their mounts' backs.

     "One," Elladan called, "two . . . "  He opened his mouth to call out the third number, but suddenly leaned forward and his horse leapt into action, thundering down the path.  Elrohir frantically started after them, his horse whinnying in complaint.  "That's cheating!"