Disclaimer: not mine, never was, never will be sniff

Thoughts are in …/Italics.

Dedicated to Trinka for her birthday. A kinder person you could not hope to meet. I know I am late. I hope I do not look terrible though! Hehe… Happy birthday, mellon nîn!

Betaed by the wonderful Alina. Thanks for your quick help and encouragement, meldis!

One to save the day

If he did not know better he would think that all of Imladris had gone crazy. Deep down he knew it could not be, surely his father had taken care of that during his long absence but then again… he turned to glare at a drunken elf stumbling over his own feet, laughing stupidly when he landed in a puddle of pearl wine right in front of him, sending the liquid flying into every direction and especially on his best tunic. That puddle had been created by other elves when they had opened one of the pearl wine bottles sent by King Thranduil for this special day with a loud cheer and a hearty toast to the Peredhel twins on this "fine day".

It was not every day that an elven prince turned two thousand years old, after all. And even more so two elven princes at the same time.

Elrohir heaved a tired sigh and chanced a glance at his brother. Elladan was enjoying himself immensely. Elrohir knew that Elladan could be quite the charmer when in the right mood, and apparently a certain amount of the aforementioned pearl wine had done its part to lighten his twin's spirit. Elladan turned as he felt his brother's glare on the back of his head and winked at him, grinning like a halfling that had just invented an earth shattering thing, such as…second breakfast.

"Elrohir!" Came a shriek from his left, making him jump and instinctively search for the hilt of his sword, only to find thin air. He sighed again and answered in mock excitement: "Marysuiel!" as she wrapped her pale long arms around his neck and kissed him soundly – and quite wetly – on his lips.

"Happy birthday, my Lord." She said in a more than suggestive tone and gave him a dashing smile.

"Thank you, my Lady." He answered, attempting a smile and trying to pry her arms from his neck as gently as possible. Disappointed by his obvious rejection of her utter perfection and loveliness, she shot him an angry glare, turned on her heel and repeated the whole procedure on his twin – who, to his shock, accepted her attention quite eagerly!

By the Valar, I must have been on patrol far too long, leaving 'Dan alone in the grasps of these weird elves! Elrohir thought, wishing, not for the first time this night, that he would be anywhere else but on his own birthday party. It was loud, it was stinking, it was wet, in short: Elrohir felt worse than when facing a band of snarling orcs. For the first time in his life – but most likely not the last – he wished for some sort of serious havoc or at least a little orc-attack or something of the sort to break loose upon Imladris this very minute, so he might have a good reason to get away from the noise, the smell and the sight.

He was just thinking about the best ways to sneak away from his own birthday party, when Erestor appeared out of thin air, soundlessly and unseen, and handed him a folded piece of paper without saying a single word before he left just as silently as he had arrived.

Elrohir gazed after his father's chief advisor for a good amount of time and sighed again. At least the old ones are having a quiet evening today. His curiosity sparked, Elrohir hastily opened the small parchment and blinked at the few words written in a neat handwriting that seemed familiar, but that he could not quite place right now:

"When the nightingale calls,

meet me where the water falls."

Elrohir blinked. Who had written that message? Hopefully not one the maidens that had hovered at his side all evening, trying to catch his eye. Looking around he realized that all maidens he knew where still gathered in the pavilion they always used for festivities such as this birthday celebration – and one of them, apparently victim to the pearl wine, was vomiting into a nearby bush.

Disgusted, Elrohir wrinkled his nose and shook his head. He would never understand why people, and especially his own twin brother - of all people! - enjoyed orgies like that one so much. Alright, having a good time, dancing and making merry was a nice thing, even getting a bit drunk from time to time was not so bad after all, but this party had gotten out of control a few hours ago already.

And maidens – well, he liked them. He liked them a lot. And sometimes he even liked them to wrap their arms around him and kiss him, and maybe even do… other… things. But not today. It simply was too much for him. He had just returned from a tiresome patrol to be reunited with his twin on their special day since Elladan had not been able to ride with him this time due to an injury.

Rubbing his brow wearily, Elrohir all but leapt to his feet when he heard the far-away call of a nightingale. He hesitated only a moment, wondering if he really should follow the invitation, but soon his curiosity got the better of him. Cautiously, as to not draw unwanted attention, he stole away from the celebration, ever careful not be seen leaving his own birthday party.

Stealthily he made his way to the waterfalls, feeling better and better with each step he got further away from the noisy drunken crowd in the pavilion.

His heart almost failed when suddenly someone grabbed him from behind, firmly clapped a hand over his mouth to keep him from crying out and dragged him off into the close woods. Try as he might he could not break free from his captor, could not even manage to get that hand off of his mouth and call for help. Definitely not a maiden then.

"Ssshhhttt!" Came a low hiss from behind, sounding strangely familiar, as he was forced down to crouch low behind an old oak tree that for some reason seemed to hum merrily. Frowning at this strange, almost subconscious sound, Elrohir froze in his hidden spot, hearing the hysterical giggle of two maidens which obviously had followed him. He ceased his struggling against his captor – or rather saviour? – at least for the time being.

"Where did he go?" He heard one of the maidens ask. "I haven't the faintest idea!" The other replied, slurring slightly. "Let's go back. 'Dan's more fun tonight anyway." The same voice said. "Oh darn it, I'd so hoped to see him go for a swim… in all his glory…" The other girl answered, sending the two maidens into another fit of giggles. Then they ran back to where they had come from, hand in hand, to keep each other from falling down in their drunken madness.

Before Elrohir could even think about starting to fight his captor again, a full bottle of wine was shoved into his left hand and he was released.

"You son of an orc! How dare you!" He hissed, jumping to his feet, turning around in the same movement, fully intending to glare daggers on whoever had dared to seize him like that. His next tirade died upon his very lips as his eyes met the mischievously twinkling blue ones of one that was as dear to him as his own brother.

"Legolas!" He cried delightedly, grabbing the other elf and pulling him up into a tight embrace.

"What are you doing here? I thought you could not come! Your father sent a letter, saying you were unable to attend our feast!" He clapped his free hand on the other's shoulder, squeezed, shaking the other elf slightly, and for the first time this evening he grinned as happily as his elder brother had before.

"Well, that son of an orc thought you might need some help with those maidens", Legolas answered and smirked.

"Oh really!" Elrohir groaned, rolling his eyes. "But tell me, when did you arrive? Why did you not send word or joined us at the party?" He asked, pulling Legolas down to sit crossed legged on the forest floor with him.

"That loud and stinking feast a deaf, blind and probably even dead orc – you might call him my ada if you so wish – two thousand miles away from here could still smell and hear? No, thank you, gwador! I came here without delay from my latest patrol and was too weary for that. Besides you never liked this kind of party, and you did not look particularly happy, either, when I observed the whole orgy from afar. So I thought it was time for me to play personal hero again and save the day." He winked, laughed and patted the other's back sympathetically. Elrohir only snorted.

"Save the day, indeed. Thank you, meldir, I am forever in your debt. And here I was, thinking I would never come to enjoying this day!" The twin smiled and raised his bottle of wine for a toast.

"To good friends." He said, and Legolas, who had brought a second bottle for himself, raised his bottle as well.

"May they always arrive just in time to save a poor Peredhel from whatever ailment has befallen him", he teased and grinned as Elrohir rolled his eyes again, this time in mock annoyance. "Happy birthday, gwador." Legolas added, and together they drank.

"Thank you, mellon nîn. Now it certainly will be a happy day. A happy day indeed."

The End.