"You're both up. Early," remarked Haldir, slightly confused. He dropped down into a seat at the table and peered at the pair already there. "And you both appear... awake. Refreshed. Far from hung over."
"No need to rub it in," Elladan said darkly.
Haldir was unable to comment further as the door opened and his sister walked in. She stopped short of the table and looked in disbelief at her sons. "Since when did the two of you start having breakfast with everyone else?"
They continued to fume until Elrohir finally said, "Look, whatever we did, it couldn't have been our fault. I don't know what it was, but-"
"Did? What are you talking about?" asked Celebrian.
"Might as well tell her," sighed Elladan to Elrohir. "Something - and we don't know what - happened, and we were banned from coming back to the King's Kastle."
"Forever," said Elrohir with grand finality.
Nearly choking on his coffee, Haldir said, "Orophin runs around pretending to be people he isn't singing questionable songs, Valarda is some sort of high priestess wizard thing down in the caves, Celebdreth - well, he used to pick up every girl who walked through the door, and the two of you were the ones to be kicked out?"
"There has to be a reason for it," said Celebrian as she sat down next to Haldir. "Didn't Thranduil tell you the reason he banned you?"
"Well," said Elladan carefully, "he wasn't the one to tell us."
"Who banned you? Ilmendin? Legolas? It wasn't Glorcheniel, was it?" she asked with a frown.
Elrohir shook his head. "Actually, what it was, is that we were coming up the path, and Lindir was talking to some elleth, and telling her that he was at the doors in case the twins came again, because no matter what they told him, he was not to let them through the doors."
"Being the only twins who patronize the establishment, it was fairly clear what it meant," sulked Elladan.
"Would you like me to talk to Thranduil for you?" offered Celebrian, reaching across the table and placing a hand over Elrohir's. Elladan had his arms crossed, still wearing a pouty expression.
"Na-naaah, please!" whined Elladan. "We're adults. We can handle this." Haldir raised his cup to cover his snicker and met his sister's sideways glance.
"Alright," said Celebrian, folding her hands upon the table. "What do you plan to do?"
"We're going to start our own pub," Elrohir said decidedly. "Honestly, if he can do it, so can we."
"Besides, our father was an innkeeper, in a manner of speaking," Elladan said. "What was his father? A... a... what was Thranduil's father, exactly?"
"Uhm, a king?" guessed Haldir in a most obvious voice.
"Before that," sighed Elladan. "What did he do before then?"
"He was a philosopher," spoke their father from the doorway. Walking to the pantry with a bucket of milk, he asked, "Just where are you planning to set up your establishment? Certainly not in this house," he added as he entered the larder and went downstairs to the storage area. Elladan and Elrohir immediately gave their saddest looks to their mother, but even from downstairs they heard their father. "That isn't going to work!"
"Do you think Glorfindel and Erestor will let us use their cottage? I mean, they can't possibly have need for the entire thing," whispered Elladan.
Haldir leaned across the table. "Only if they've lost their minds. But, I think you should ask them. They'll probably get a good laugh out of it."
"Well, unless you have a better idea-"
"I'm not the only who was kicked out of the King's Kastle," smirked Haldir, leaning back in his chair.
Elladan pouted again. "You don't have to rub it in."
"What about the beach?" questioned Elrohir.
"What about it?" asked Elladan, but a moment later his eyes lit up. "That's right! The beach doesn't belong to Ada, just the house! We can do whatever we want on the beach!"
"It will be great! Think of the atmosphere - sand beneath your feet, sounds of the ocean-"
"Big pink fence of flamingos surrounding your neighbor's house," Haldir reminded them.
The twins leaned back simultaneously, obviously deep in thought and conversing with one another. When twin grins were flashed and the pair rose and left without a word, Celebrian chewed worriedly at the skin inside her mouth and looked at her brother, and her husband as he emerged to the pantry. "There is a lock on our liquor cabinet, is there not?"
- - -
"The Pink Sea Bird."
Elrohir nodded as he arranged the glasses on the shelves of the bar area Orophin had built for them. The bar itself was oval shaped, and at the center there was shelving for the bottles, glasses, and other small things needed. Elladan was positioning the stools around the outside of the bar and lighting the candles that were either on the counters or atop tall holders spiked in the sand. "We were going to call it The Pink Flamingo, but that seemed redundant."
Haldir nodded in agreement and took a seat at one of the meticulously arranged stools. "Well, if nothing else, this project kept Orophin out of trouble for the last month. What other ideas do you have that could keep him busy?"
"I wish he was here tonight," sighed Elrohir. "He said if it wasn't for having to put some time in at the Kastle, he would be." He set down his bar rag and waved at a pair approaching along the beach. "El, get over here! We have our first customers!"
Elladan scooted around the corner and joined Elrohir while Haldir crossed his arms and gave them an odd look. "And what am I?"
"You're family, you don't count," Elladan explained as he gave a wave and smiled widely as the first patrons came to the makeshift outdoor pub.
"We heard all about your entrepreneurial venture." Glorfindel sat down on one of the stools that lined the outdoor bar. Behind him, Erestor remained standing, looking a little out of his element.
"I'm so glad you could make it," Elladan said enthusiastically. "Please, Erestor, have a seat. Don't worry, they're quite sturdy," he said at the wary look the tall, dark elf gave the high stool.
"Actually," spoke Erestor, "I was going to go inside and speak with your father... while..." Pausing when he saw the forlorn looks on their faces, he said, "I suppose I have time for one drink."
Glorfindel looked through the selection list that hung on a wood burned plaque behind the bar. "You know, we've never been to that 'other place'," he grinned. "In fact, this is the first drink I'll have in Valinor. What do you suggest?"
"Well, everything on the list is unique to The Pink Sea Bird." Elrohir looked through the list quickly. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you like rum, right?" Glorfindel nodded. "Then I would suggest either a Nenya or a Mithlond Twist."
"I'll probably have more than one, so I think I'll try the second one," decided Glorfindel.
Elrohir nodded and began to mix the drink while Elladan turned to Erestor, who was thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "I just want something that isn't too intoxicating."
"What's the point?" joked Haldir from a few seats down.
Erestor smiled. "I have to make sure I can steer him home at the end of the night," he said, poking a thumb at Glorfindel. Glorfindel nodded as he was handed a tall glass with a light orange liquid in it. "How much alcohol's in that one?" he questioned. "Can you perhaps make it without the rum?"
"I suppose we could," frowned Elladan. "But it doesn't quite mix the juice so well with the liqueurs."
"Oh, so it would still have alcohol, then," mused Erestor. Glorfindel laughed. "What?" asked Erestor.
"You don't come to a bar to not drink," he pointed out. "You must forgive Erestor," apologized Glorfindel. "He has a very delicate palate."
"I do not," argued Erestor. He looked at the list again. "I'm just not sure what everything is. You don't have any ales hidden on there, do you?"
"No," Elrohir said sadly. "That's all pretty much at the Kastle. It would be difficult to have it brought down all this way, and we don't have the means to store it."
"That's quite alright," Erestor said quickly. "Tell me, what exactly is a Drunken Vala?"
Elladan chuckled. "Oh, some of the names are silly, aren't they? Orophin came up with a lot of them. There's a lot of things in it, but basically, it has a peachy flavor."
"Why does it have a peachy flavor?" Erestor asked quickly.
"Uhh, well... it just seemed to work well. You disagree?" The elder twin wrung his hands.
"No. Not at all. Just was curious." Erestor nodded. "I suppose I can't be sure unless I try it though."
"Coming right up!" grinned Elladan.
For the next two hours, the conversation was quite animated between Erestor, Glorfindel, and Haldir, but as time wore on, the expressions the twins wore became longer and longer. It wasn't until they noticed a pair of ellith walking down the path around the house that they brightened again. Elladan waved his arm up over his head, and Elrohir gave a worried look to Glorfindel, who was standing up. "Something wrong?"
"Well, you have more joining you, we don't want to intrude at all," said Glorfindel. "We'll stop back tomorrow, perhaps."
"Oh. Well, I just thought, uhm, well, Haldir wouldn't want to be left out here all alone with people he doesn't know," Elrohir said.
Haldir, who had been standing up to leave as well, sat slowly back down. "So, Glorfindel, you were telling me about the patio you're going to construct...?"
As the two young ladies approached the bar, they pointed to different things, nodding or talking in hushed voice to one another about the décor. "Orophin said you started your own bar. This is nice," said the taller elleth, young with dark curls hanging down her back. She sat down at a seat across the way from Glorfindel and just a few seats from Haldir. "Do you have a name for it?"
"Well, you're really supposed to enter under the sign," Elladan told her.
"Oh. Should we come back around then?" she asked, pointing over, but Elladan shook his head. Her companion, an equally young silver- haired elleth, sat down beside her and smiled around at the elves who were there, and when they all smiled cordially back, she set about whispering something to her friend, who glanced quickly at Erestor and then back down as she giggled. Elrohir went about getting drinks for them as Elladan refreshed the others.
"El, do you see anymore of the dried fruit mix over there?" Elladan asked.
Elrohir shook his head. "No, but I think there is some inside. In the house," he added. "I think we forgot some of the cordials in there, too."
"We'd best go and get them now, then," advised Elladan. "Uncle, can you watch the bar for us for a moment?"
"Well-"
"Thank you, Uncle!" shouted Elrohir as he and his twin ran up the beach.
The silence that followed was brief; the dark-haired elleth giggled again, and the silver one nudged her and blushed. "Are you new here?" asked the darker one, addressing the pair across from them.
"We arrived two months ago," said Glorfindel. "In that ship yonder," he said, motioning to the ship that was still docked near to shore.
"Really? You've been across the sea all this time?" she asked.
Glorfindel nodded. "We had an oath to fulfill to our lord. Well, to Elladan and Elrohir's father and grandfather, actually," he added.
"So, were you there long?" she asked.
"Since the first age," said Glorfindel, and then, "although, well actually, I was here in the Halls of Waiting for a bit, and then I was sent back again."
"Really?" She nodded. "There are a lot of reborn elves here. I think practically everyone I know has a family member who is reborn. Well, Urueth doesn't," she said in regards to her friend, who shrugged and looked down. "But her whole family stayed here since they came with Orome long ago."
"I'm part Vanya," said Glorfindel, "but it seems so silly. We all came from the same small group, how much difference is there between us?"
The dark-haired elleth nodded. "Exactly. That's always been my philosophy. For example, I'm half Noldo and half Teleri."
"And that's my other half, mostly. Noldor, that is. Now, Erestor, he's-" Glorfindel paused at the sudden look Erestor gave him. "He's basically Noldor," he said. Erestor relaxed.
"Oh. You're not-" She lowered her voice. "One of THEM, are you?"
"No, he's not. He's from Doriath," spoke Haldir. "Definitely not one of THOSE elves, but those living here have been pardoned."
"Oh, right." She nodded. "I was just curious. My name's Finiriel, by the way."
"Haldir," greeted the elf at the end of the bar with a nod. "Pleased to meet you, and I really didn't mean anything by that, just that Erestor isn't the sort of elf who would have been involved with... well, that's not really pleasant discussion, forgive me."
"Nothing by it, nothing from it," she answered. "I still don't have your name," she said to the golden-blonde.
"Oh, I'm just Glorfindel," he said with a laugh. "You may have heard of me from 'The Fall of Gondolin' or some other boring history book."
Erestor snorted, obviously already affected by the liquor. "Take that back. I wrote that book!"
"You're the one who killed the Balrog," spoke Urueth for the first time. She had a look of fright on her face.
Glorfindel nodded. "I admit, I am guilty of that charge. But, in all fairness, I think he killed me first."
"Here we are!" announced Elladan as he and his brother returned. He looked over in alarm as the ladies began to stand up. "Something wrong?"
"Well... it's getting late," Finiriel said quickly. "But, it was lovely. Nice to meet you all. Come on, Urueth," she said. Urueth smiled at everyone, especially at Erestor, and then followed Finiriel back toward the path.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Elladan looked incredulously at Glorfindel. "What did you say?"
"I only made pleasant conversation. Talked about our heritage, mentioned Gondolin-"
"Did you tell them about the Balrog?" asked Elrohir dryly.
"Not yet," he said.
"Probably best you don't, then," said Elladan. "Actually, we hate to keep you. Really. I know you were going to leave earlier, we shouldn't have forced you to stay."
"Oh. Well, I guess we'll go home then," Glorfindel said. He stood up and finished his drink. "Fancy a walk along the shore?" he asked Erestor. Erestor nodded and took hold of Glorfindel's extended arm. "Good luck with your bar," said Glorfindel as they left.
Elladan shook his head as soon as they had gone. "This isn't going to work! He's going to scare everyone away with that horrid story!"
"What are you going to do, ban him?" asked Haldir, swirling his wine in his glass.
"Maybe we should," whispered Elladan to Elrohir. Elrohir gave Elladan a nervous look.
"If you ban him," spoke Haldir, "I wonder if he'll go and start his own bar on the beach?"
Elladan turned around and narrowed his eyes and then snatched Haldir's glass from his hand. "The bar is closed. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."
"Yes, I can!" said Haldir adamantly. "This IS my home."
"The bar is STILL closed," Elrohir said.
- - -
"So, this is their bar. I think it turned out nicely," said Orophin, taking a seat. Haldir sat down next to him. Already there were a half dozen others sitting on the stools. "Business, all things considered, seems good."
Elrohir noticed his uncles and walked over. "One week anniversary," he said proudly.
Haldir nodded as he looked at the drink list. "Yes, I know. Things have been steadily improving for you, too."
Wiping the counter, Elrohir sighed. "They have been, but I feel badly. Neither Glorfindel nor Erestor have returned since the first night."
"I don't think they heard the two of you talking, if that's what you worry about," answered Haldir. "They just aren't much for drinking."
Elrohir nodded, looking unconvinced as a large party approached, led by Finiriel and Urueth. "Where's Glorfindel?" asked Finiriel. Behind her stood a group of a dozen or so others, mostly young ellith. Elrohir gulped and looked to Elladan.
"Uh, well, he's probably at home," guessed Elladan as he strolled over. He nodded to the cliffs nearby. "You can sort of see a light up there, that's where he lives."
"Honestly?" Finiriel turned to the group. "Maybe we should just go up there."
"Excuse me, but why exactly would you do that?" questioned Elrohir.
Finiriel looked over her shoulder. "Don't you realize who he is? He's the Balrog Slayer! The one they sing songs about!" When she looked back to the group, Elladan and Elrohir glanced at each other and Haldir nearly laughed himself off of his stool. The group of new elves began to watch Haldir curiously.
"That's it, I'm cutting you off," announced Elladan, taking away Haldir's glass of wine. "Elrohir, why don't you ride up to the cottage and see if Glorfindel would mind coming here early?"
"So he is coming here tonight?" asked Urueth.
Elrohir nodded as he stepped out from around the bar and headed to the house. "Of course! He always comes to The Pink Sea Bird!"
Haldir snickered as Orophin shook his head in amusement. "Well," whispered Orophin to his brother, "it looks as if they might actually give Thranduil a run of it."
- - -
Elladan looked around nervously, trying to figure out why it was taking so long for Elrohir to return. Such a large crowd had gathered that he was running low on many things, but feared to return to the house. Finally, he could wait no longer and turned to Haldir. "Uncle, would you-"
"Go ahead," Haldir said with a wave of his hand as he joined Elladan behind the counter. Orophin stood up as Elladan walked swiftly to the house.
"You're not having all the fun," scolded Orophin. "I get to play, too!"
"Good. I really don't know how to mix any of these," admitted Haldir.
Orophin took hold of two brightly colored bottles. "It's simple." He spun one up into the air, pouring it as he caught it and spun the other. "Piece of cake. Like killing an orc," he said, sliding the drink down the counter to the waiting elf.
"You've seen orcs?" the elf asked as he caught the drink.
"Loads of them," Orophin replied. "I was a lieutenant for some time in Lothlorien, one of the Galadhrim. My brother here," he said, pulling Haldir over by the sleeve, "he was Captain of the Galadhrim longer than any elf ever."
A resounding round of oohs and aahs rose up from the group. And then, a voice piped up, "More amazing still, he led the army of the Galadhrim and the Imladris guard into the Battle of Helm's Deep during the War of the Ring, and was one of only three elves to survive it. Much better Captain than I was, I got myself killed by falling off a cliff." There was a pause, and then the voice added, "I did slay that Balrog, though."
"Glorfindel!" A goodly number of elleths swooned and squealed in delight as he stepped forward with his lute.
"How about a song to liven things up?" he asked, strumming a chord.
- - -
Elladan gathered up a few more things and dumped them into the box he had, turning to see the door open.
"El, what's wrong?" asked Elladan as Elrohir entered the house with a grimace on his face. He cringed as Thranduil followed him, along with Erestor. "Good evening, m'lords," he said with a half smile.
"Erestor has informed me that there has been some confusion going on as of late regarding your 'banishment' from my 'kingdom'," said Thranduil in an amused tone.
"El, we weren't the twins they were looking for." Elrohir grinned sheepishly. "Remember Fereveldir and Ferevellon?" Elladan nodded. "Well, they were reborn, about thirty or so years back, but they grew like trees. So, they snuck in and got really drunk a while back, and Lindir was watching for them so that he could take them back to their father."
"Oh. So, we can go back to the Kastle?" asked Elladan hopefully.
Thranduil took a few steps into the house, carefully avoiding the decidedly ugly planter in the hall. "It looks as if you're doing quite well out here," said Thranduil. "But I really hate competition."
"We will shut that place down in a heartbeat," promised Elladan. "Do you know how much work it is to run?"
Thranduil slowly smiled. "That's really too bad. I was hoping perhaps we could work together. A seaside annex of the King's Kastle."
"As nice as that sounds," said Elrohir, "I'm dead tired from just a week of this."
"Me, too," agreed Elladan. He glanced at Elrohir and then back to Thranduil. "I think it's about time my brother and I retired from the business." He looked at the box of supplies with a sad smile. "It was fun while it lasted, though," he said as he walked to the door, intent on making an announcement.
The bar was packed, and Glorfindel was standing in the center area atop a stool, leading the group in a drinking song about himself. Orophin was amusing the crowd with his bartending skills, and Haldir leaned nonchalantly across the bar, wiping it down as he flirted with a group of maidens.
"Maybe tomorrow we can retire," suggested Elrohir as he peered over Elladan's shoulder.
"Tomorrow's good for me," replied Elladan as they went back inside to retrieve the rest of the supplies.
