A/N: I can't remember if I've already said this, but in case some of you have read Lalaith Elerrina's Lalaith Elerrina: Child of the Stars, her Elrohir is in love with an elleth named Calassë as well. I do have permission to use the name, and if you haven't read her trilogy yet you should definitely do it, because it is absolutely fantastic. It's mainly a Legolas romance set during the War of the Ring, but both the twins are in love, and so are Glorfindel, and Haldir, and Aragorn, so it is definitely worth a read.

Enjoy!

2509 T.A.

Chapter Three

Word from Lorien

Darkness came early to Imladris in those summer evenings. The trees shed prematurely, and the leaves fell and lay trampled in the mud. Orcs were spotted on the eastern patrols towards the Pass of the Hithaeglir, and word came from Mirkwood of an evil presence deep within the trees. Glorfindel now trained his warriors rigorously, uncertain where the danger lay but recognising it all the same.

Seeking council, Elrond called on Lórien, and early in the fall a troop of Galadhrim arrived in Imladris, heralding the coming of their lord and lady. Their faces were grim as they spoke of the contingents of Orcs crossing the lands between the old city of Hollin and the Golden Wood.

"If Sauron has risen again, warning must be sent out," Elrond said as he paced the council room. "We must not let our allies be taken unawares."

"Sauron?" Glorfindel turned from the window, his eyebrows raised. "But these assaults do not suggest a Dark Lord's hand. If Sauron were indeed ordering these attacks, we would have felt it far worse."

"I do not believe this is the work of some Orcish chieftain," Elrond said, and his voice was certain. "I sense a far greater evil than that. If Sauron has returned, we must assume that he has found his Ring, or that he at least has some knowledge of its whereabouts."

"Save your forebodings for your mother-in-law!" Glorfindel said drily. "Let us assume the worst only when the worst has come."

Elrohir fidgeted under his heavy robes, grateful that his strategic position behind his mother ensured his safety from her eagle eye. Beside him, Elladan shifted uncomfortably, trapped likewise in clothing reminiscent of the bitterly cold winter of 2492. The one catch here was that it most decidedly was not winter, let alone a freezing one, as proven by the glinting sun and the budded trees. Dropping his gaze downwards, Elrohir noticed with interest that the grass itself seemed to be sweating. He nudged his twin and pointed out the wonder in an undertone, so Celebrian would not hear. (Sweating was one of those unspeakably inappropriate topics to be avoided before mothers.)

"'Tisn't sweating nearly as much as I am," Elladan muttered lowly, but Celebrian heard all the same.

"Elladan?" She turned about, eyebrows raised in a glorious imitation of her husband's. "If needs must, we refer to the ejaculation of heat-turned-liquid through the pores as perspiring." Elladan nodded apologetically, but Celebrian was not yet done. "As you no doubt know, your daernaneth and daeradar are coming to discuss some very serious business. You are to make no problems whatsoever."

Elrohir managed to look more than slightly insulted. "It is not as though we will be going anywhere near them anyways," he murmured under his breath, and exhaled loudly with an angelic smile when his mother turned back to them. "We will wreak no havoc and smash no plates," he swore, hand on his heart. "Word of honour."

Celebrian did not look convinced, but then the clatter of hooves sounded outside the gates and she was forced to cede to him. Elrohir adjusted his robes, which were drooping halfheartedly off one shoulder, and straightened up to greet his grandparents – his grandmother, in particular.

"Prepare to have your mind raided," he mouthed to his twin as the Lórien troupe rounded the curve into the courtyard. He eyed his grandmother as she dismounted and embraced her daughter and son in law, hoping she would not feel obliged to kiss the tip of his nose and ask how his pet squirrel was doing. He grimaced, for the memory of the bloody end of his poor pet was painful.

Then both grandparents were advancing towards him and Elladan, and they both managed to smile a little sickly as they fought against the instinctive urge to retreat towards the sanctuary of the House. After ten minutes of embraces, kisses, and false reassurances that Elrohir's squirrel was very well indeed, the twins had fled to their shared suite and watched the commotion in the courtyard from their safe perch in the window.

"I wonder how long they will stay," Elladan commented to no one in particular, nose pressed to the window pane.

"Do not ask," Elrohir advised, with an air of wisdom drawn from much experience. "Naneth will get that warning look in her eye and then she and Adar will tell Daernaneth and Daeradar how much we have been looking forward to their visit, and they will stay longer than ever. The saddest part about it is seeing our parents lie."

Elladan grimaced, changing the subjects. "About the Orcs – do you think it really is serious?" Elrohir shrugged, and Elladan bit his lip. "I heard Adar and Glorfindel talking, and..." He trailed off, looking up only when Elrohir nudged him.

"What did they say?"

"Adar thinks it might be Sauron," Elladan said, feeling a little guilty at revealing the illicit knowledge.

Elrohir's eyes widened. "What does Glorfindel think? What do you think?"

"I do not think Glorfindel agrees," Elladan replied, a little hesitantly. "And I do not know what to think. I only know that there are more Orcs crossing the lands than there were in the last hundred years. I am not sure if there is reason to think that there is any more to it than that."

The last of the Galadhrim disappeared inside the House and Elrohir shifted around with a sigh. "I suppose that is why Glorfindel has been working us so hard in training. I think my legs might be permanently damaged."

Elladan's customary cheer returned and he shoved Elrohir's shoulder with a grin. "If they are, you will simply have to repair them. Unless you would like Glorfindel to do it for you with twenty laps about the field?"

Elrohir's face twisted and he was about to reply, but then a bell pealed through the House and they both jumped for the door. "If we are late for dinner Adar will slay us," Elrohir said confidently as they dashed through the halls to skid to a halt before the doors of the Hall of Fire.

"But we are not late," Elladan said as they entered more calmly. "In fact, we are the only ones here."

They were not alone for long, though. In a matter of moments Calassë crept through the door, her face pallid and her lips bloodless. She clutched the table for support as she collapsed into a chair and gazed unseeingly at the twins.

"Calassë?" said Elladan uncertainly, reaching a little worriedly for the decanter of water on the side table.

"Did you eat something the wrong way?" he questioned considerately, pouring her a glass of water and unpeeling her fingers from the table to wrap her hand about it.

"Did you disturb Erestor in the midst of writing his memoirs?" asked Elrohir, rather interestedly. Elladan glared at his twin. His dormant sense of chivalry had been aroused.

Calassë shook her head numbly. "It is worse than that," she murmured hoarsely.

"I don't see how it could get any worse than annoying Erestor," said Elrohir under his breath, but his eyes were worried all the same.

"I knocked Lady Galadriel down," Calassë said in a strangely expressionless voice, and took a long gulp of water. "Straight to the floor. I think she may be unconscious."

Elladan bit his lip, feeling brotherly sympathy for her. "We can hide you in the cellars," he offered. "I am sure they will not look for you there."

"Elrohir," she whispered, groping about for his hand. "Put in a good word for us to your father, please. I am quite certain we are going to be banished."

Elrohir patted her hand like his father did to Celebrian when she was stressed. "It will be all right," he said comfortingly. "Your father is advisor to my adar. I am sure he will be lenient, although he may not find out about it at all."

"He was right there," Calassë moaned. "They all were. Your daeradar, your mother, and even Glorfindel. If my mother finds out I may have to flee to Harad."

"Of course you will not," Elladan interjected, fanning her with the decanter and accidentally splashing some onto her dress. "It was an accident. You apologised, didn't you?"

Calassë looked up at him incredulously, but at least her pallor had decreased. "How does one apologise to an unconscious body?"

"I suppose you say you are sorry, just like you would if she were conscious," Elrohir suggested helpfully. "It should not be that much different."

Their conversation broke off suddenly as the doors opened to admit a flood of Elves, and immediately the gloomy atmosphere brightened. Calassë's troubles seemed to fade as the laughter echoed through the long hall. She drank the rest of her water and stood up less shakily, but as soon as the guests arrived, led by Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian, she shrank behind the brothers.

"Be calm," Elrohir muttered under his breath. "Draw no attention to yourself."

"They will have forgotten about it," Elladan promised, more helpfully. His reassurance took effect, and Calassë slid out and stood between them, cringing a little as she met Galadriel's calm gaze from across the room. She watched as the Lady of Lórien turned and whispered something to her daughter, saw Celebrían's accommodating smile, and gazed on in horror as the Lady of Imladris led her mother towards them.

"Daernaneth," the twins gallantly greeted their grandmother as the two stopped before them. "May we introduce our friend Calassë?"

Calassë managed a weak little smile for Galadriel as the tall elleth's searching gaze turned upon her. "My lady, it is an honour."

"We have already met, though," said Galadriel with an answering smile. "Although rather informally, I must say."

"I hope you have not bruised," Calassë dared to say, feeling slightly little less like an assassin. "I am very sorry for hurting you."

"You did not," Galadriel assured her, and just as Calassë was beginning to feel confident she felt the brush of a powerful presence against her fëa. Eyes wide, she gazed up at the Lady, feeling as though her deepest thoughts had been laid bare. Another smile reassured her, and then Galadriel turned away towards her silver-haired husband.

"How does she do that?" she asked the twins in an undertone, watching in awe as Celebrían's mother moved effortlessly about the room.

"Read your mind, you mean?" Elrohir grimaced. "It is disconcerting, is it not? I do not think even Adar can stop her."

"I think it gives her some sort of pleasure to discover what people are thinking, especially when they do not know she is doing it," Elladan said, bemused. "You may not know it, but my grandmother's curiosity is simply insatiable."

Calassë stared up at him disbelievingly. "Curiosity is not a word I would associate with your grandmother," she said.

Elrohir took her arm and guided her towards the buffet, Elladan trailing behind. "Whenever she is around, I think happy thoughts," he said, grinning. "If I am lucky, she will go no further than that."

With the twins about her that evening, Calassë's spirits rose considerably, and the only thing that dampened her enthusiasm for the night was seeing Lord Elrond's uncharacteristically serious face. It brought back to her the reasons for the coming of the Galadhrim to Imladris, and biting her lip she turned to Elrohir.

"Do you think there is reason to be worried?" she asked quietly.

Elrohir raised his eyebrows. "About Daernaneth and Daeradar coming so suddenly? I do not think so." He glanced over at his parents and grandparents, who were deep in conversation with Glorfindel and Haldir, the seneschal of Lórien. "I think it very likely that it is only a problem of increased Orc raids in the mortal villages."

"Which means more patrols for us," Elladan put in from her other side.

Elrohir sighed. "Which means late nights..."

"... and kit rations..."

"... and no baths for a week..."