[Belin]

*****Rivendell*****

Elladan's skills were many. He was a competent hunter, and a fine singer, warrior, and sculptor. He was a diplomat of the highest caliber, and his storytelling was unrivalled (except by Bilbo). He was widely considered a highly accomplished warrior, and universally considered an excellent cook.
What he was not, however, was a useful boatman. He would never have known the difference between an oar and any other large wooden pole, and Thule's persistent complaints about Elladan's grip on the thing were completely incomprehensible to him. "This way?" he asked.

"No!"

He sighed and continued attempting to muddle through. As far as he was concerned, his rowing was perfectly adequate--after all, the boat was staying afloat, if in a sadly wobbling manner, and moving forward--but Ciri, in her lack of foresight, had put him in a boat with two hobbits, whose eyes were wide with terror. Odo, who after his previous near-death experience was more that usually reluctant to enter a boat in the first place, sat trembling, and clutching pathetically at Brando's hand every time the boat rocked. Brando's young face held a resolute attempt to be a pillar of strength, but if he succeeded, it was only because pillars of strength of any age almost always look as if they wanted nothing better in life than some time in which they could indulge in the relief of looking miserable and nervous. Elrohir, in another vessel, seemed faintly amused. Elladan was offended.

Grimacing, but also humming to improve his concentration, he set back to his oar work. He really thought he was getting better, or should be. Did they really have to stare at him like that?

He lifted his head. In fact, they weren't staring at him at all, but Serin was. "Listen," called the dwarf to the hobbits, "are you all right?"

The were going to trade. He knew it. They wanted his boat to be full of people who knew how to swim. Elladan jabbed at the water with his oar.

Of course, he reflected, as the boat began to rock slowly and inexorably to one side, they were completely right. He would have advised the same. They were going to be quite late enough without drowning.

He reached out toward Brando and Odo as the boat finally inverted itself into the dark, star-filled waters, trying to catch the hobbits before they could be washed downstream.

[ November 06, 2002: Message edited by: Belin ]