A/N I don't think I knew where this chapter would go...You kind of get lost when it's chapters written over the span of days instead of one sitting (in the case of my chapter word ranges...). Still, the imagery made me snicker, and progress has been made. :)

Sorry if the structuring is rough.

I had a thought about school coming back...That's going to be a whirlwind.

Elladan and Elrohir thanked the stars for the removal of the collars. They itched like they never did before and they could finally get some form of relief. Both hoped they were not going to be forced to have baths in the near future.

Having the prince of Arnor in their company felt strange. They wished they could tell the man that he was not alone in that feeling. They were more than acquaintances, but were not close friends.

Elladan and Elrohir appreciated the attempt at respect…yet being stepped on may have lowered that appreciation.

They really did not know what to do, hence their aimless wandering. There were no signs that told them that they were close to finding anything. Tarcil offering to walk with them would not have changed anything.

Except it did.

The twins noticed Tarcil speaking to the smith and his spouse. The two stayed hidden from sight while the normal people conversed. When the elves left, they tried seeing what it was Tarcil had been gifted with. They saw the glimmer, then the shape and source of the glimmer…

'GIVE US THE CRYSTAL!' the brothers screamed as they charged at the man and purposely knocked him over. Once the ring fell out of Tarcil's hand they scrammed towards it. When Elrohir's nose brushed the gem, they were stilled into shock as if struck by lightning. They felt very undignified about the extra puff added to their appearance, yet that was hardly acknowledged, as the entire world seemed to move in a haze.

'You cannot have what is not given to you,' said a voice to their minds.

Elrohir felt his heart stop and managed to not think any thought.

Elladan, instead, revealed his foolishness with his impatience. He was tired of being scolded and being forced to do things he had no desire to do. 'This is unfair to us! Why do you force us to wait so long for one crystal? We will be stuck in these forms for the rest of the year at this rate!'

'You did not become who you are over the span of a week, my child,' answered the voice softly. 'You have made much progress already by willingly allowing one to aid you. But where is the honor in thieves?'

…

The twins forced their minds to be blank and they stared longingly at the ring.

'Do not be discouraged,' the voice warned. 'But if you dwell on it overlong then you will fall into temptation, and your work thus far will be made void. You know what you must do: now seek the others.'

Elladan and Elrohir felt the haze on their thoughts lift, but not the shock to their bodies. They were frozen in place and their discernment fuzzy.

'Why us?' Elladan managed to wheeze out.

'Look what we have done, brother.' Elrohir mourned. 'We have summoned a crowd.'

The spell released its captives and the twins shook: their fur settling back down to not be so fluffy. Elladan and Elrohir's ears flattened down against their heads seeing the amount of people present.

Celebrían and Tarcil were shooing everyone away; only mildly successful. Gimlân stood looking unsure; holding the ring: the cause of their present woe. The smith and his lady had returned. They also looked confounded as they stared unknowingly at their lord's sons.

Worse, the brothers thought they could smell hunting-minstrel making his way to the enclave too.

Oh, what fools they have made themselves. All because they had found a piece of the key to their restoration.

It was not fair.

Elladan and Elrohir could have cared less about being stared at, being used to it now, but they did not know what else to do. In the end, they darted into the forest.

"I am fine! Please, do not pay mind to that sound you just heard and move on with your day!" Tarcil insisted.

"We never sensed anything amiss. Why did they attack you?"

"I am sure I deserved to be attacked."

"Please," Celebrían intervened. "There is nothing to fear."

"Where are they?! I know I heard them!"

The six people who came to the scene turned towards the newcomer. Tarcil; Celebrían especially, had to conceal their shock seeing Lindir with a giant butterfly net in his hands. The mother would have to do something about that.

"Why do you carry a net meant for squirrels?" Someone asked. "You further make yourself a fool! Have you no dignity, Lindir?"

"Sacrifices must be made, and I am willing to make that sacrifice." Lindir grinned widely and looked around. "Where did they go, prince? I will go after them."

"That will not be necessary." Celebrían shot one of her famous looks, effectively quieting the minstrel and making him fearful. "Please, everything is well. Be on your way."

Even though they were very curious, they respected the lady's wishes and made their departure. Lindir was reluctant, but he followed suit; in a different direction.

Celebrían sighed and turned to the prince. "What happened?"

Tarcil placed a hand to his forehead. "I do not know. Gimlân?"

"What is this?" The advisor held the piece of jewelry out.

Tarcil took the ring and held it out to Celebrían, not wanting to have that in his possession anymore. "Your sons desired this, and I do not understand why."

The lady frowned and examined the jewel. It looked ordinary from what she could tell. "I am not sure either. I see no clear reason why they would seek this out, especially in such a desperate manner."

Tarcil nodded. "Hence my idea that this is linked to this riddle." The man blinked and looked around. "…Where did they go?"

Gimlân and Celebrían turned in various directions, looking for the twins. Celebrían groaned in frustration.

Tarcil looked to the collars he still had in his hand, and back to the forest. 'This does not bode well…'

Elrohir and Elladan found a bush to hide in and ponder. Elrohir paced back and forth while Elladan was on his back, paws tucked in near his chest.

'Have to ask…find a way to ask for the ring.' Elrohir thought out loud.

Elladan made a sound akin to a dog moan. 'I doubt that will work.'

Elrohir bared his teeth. 'It would be given willingly.'

'It would be, but I have doubts that begging will be satisfactory.'

Elrohir sat himself down and stared. 'Then explain to me how else we are going to get our message across.'

'I am working on it.'

Elrohir growled and started pacing again. 'Or you are just trying to preserve your pride again.'

Elladan returned the gesture. 'There has to be a way to keep some form of dignity without groveling for our needs! Maybe we should not ask for the ring.'

'And then what? The ring may pass onto another owner who does not know our predicament, by which we are doomed to live this way forever, if no other grace is given to us.' Elrohir turned his head. 'We have to come to an agreement if we are to move forward.'

Elladan would have scowled if he could. Why could it not be simpler?

Elrohir tried very hard not to run up to the nearby tree and start itching again. The removal of the collar made the sensation more noticeable and unbearable. Unable to avoid the need any longer, he started heading for the nearby stream.

Elladan tilted his head, rolled over onto his feet, and shook the dirt out of his fur. He too felt the urge and had to keep his back foot on the ground by sheer willpower. Elladan followed his brother's trail. The older twin had to stop to register what he was beholding when he arrived.

Elrohir lay sideways in the stream, allowing small rivulets to flow over his legs and against his body. Already his fur looked soaked, but it would not be enough to remove all the dirt without outside scrubbing...which Elladan was not going to consent to.

Ignoring the bubbles coming out of Elrohir's nose, Elladan quietly walked a bit further down the stream and stuck his feet in the water. It cooled them down instantly, and shortly after he laid down in the water and let it wash over him.

'Yes…this is completely normal.'

Elrond fingered the white ring. It was only him and Celebrían in the room. Tarcil had given her the collars before Gimlân pulled the king's son away to the safety of his circle. The lady then headed to give Elrond the details, as the scream the twins gave could not have been missed.

"There is nothing unique or abnormal about this." Elrond set the ring down on the table.

"Tarcil claims it made Elladan and Elrohir react in a crazed way…I want to see if this is the cause for that."

"I heard them," Elrond glanced out the window. "I wish there was a way for us to understand clearly what is happening. Going off by impressions and guesses does not make it easier."

Celebrían worried over the collars. "I need to speak with Lindir…and I may need your help in doing that."

Elrond blinked, "Why do you need my help?"

Celebrían eyed her husband. "Our sons may have damaged his mind, dear, and I believe he seeks to reciprocate that. You are the only person who can truly amend the damage."

Elrond had an interesting expression. "You mean the only person who can truly get through to his head?"

"Oh no. I could do that myself, but you do it more effectively. And as I said: you can heal him while I cannot."

Elrond took in a breath to release some of his tension. "I will make an appointment. Later." He held out a hand and Celebrían took it. After grabbing the ring, they walked out.

They were in one of the larger chambers of the house when they were bombarded with questions.

"What is plaguing us?"

"Is the prince unharmed?"

"Why are there strange sounds echoing throughout our home?"

"Where are my shoes?"

Elrond and Celebrían answered each question respectfully, except for the random ones. They escaped the crowd and made it to the outside.

"I feel tempted to make a giant cage for those two and keep them there." Elrond looked stiff in his forced effort to look calm.

"You know that would not help them at all." Celebrían answered gently, knowing her lord could explode again at any moment. Seeing what their sons were doing to their people's sense of security could wear down a man's tolerance.

"I can imagine it. It helps me to not go through with it." Elrond looked pleadingly at Celebrían. "Where did we go wrong?"

Celebrían smiled sympathetically and patted his arm.

Their ears twitched hearing the shrubs rustle and the sounds of what sounded like complaining. It was not coming from an elf or man…so they stood still and waited for their troublesome offspring to appear.

Out emerged two wet foxes with muddy legs and sides. Elladan and Elrohir looked upset and they argued while they walked.

Elrond cleared his throat and it caught their attention.

Celebrían tutted mentally.

The twins had looks of resignation when they realized where and who they were with and they got onto the ground. They were tired of fighting.

Elrond and Celebrían walked over to a bench and sat down. The elf-lord pulled the ring out, "Come here."

The twins obeyed, and they looked very alert at the sight. Their eyes expressed a great want for this thing, and they showed a lot of restraint to not leap at it.

'This confirms it…' Elrond thought. "Do you need this?"

The twins nodded, desperately. Their substitute looks of wanting help touched his heart.

Elrond opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. Something pulled at his mind; at his better judgement. Do not give them the ring…Simply giving it to them would be too easy, and to his understanding, this was not supposed to be easy. They had to work for it.

Besides, there might be more for them to learn, so whether they had this item or not would not change much.

Elrond had to suppress his emotions for what he thought was the wiser course. He withdrew the ring from sight. "It is well that you have made progress…For your sake however, this shall be locked away with me for the time being. I would not risk it being misplaced."

He could not read his sons' expressions. They looked mildly disappointed by his words, but they seemed to understand the wisdom behind it. Celebrían stared with a bit of incredulity; though she understood the reasoning too.

'Of course it would be this way.' Elladan reckoned sourly.

The brothers' attempt at giving themselves baths only served to increase the need for one. The dirt turned to mud; it clung in clumps in their fur and they felt grimy and unkempt, and itchier. And keeping up appearances were important to those raised in elven society, especially at times of peace. They were irritated as a result.

They had not really intended to run into their parents either…though the stream they blindly ran to happened to be near a family garden. It seemed these meetings were designed to happen at convenient moments. It no longer could be coincidence.

As such, they were wearied by the constant running and seeking and could not muster the energy to fight anymore.

Elladan did not like to hear that the ring would be kept from them for an unknown period of time, but he appreciated that his mother and father understood the need. Still, if they could have it in their possession...that would make him giddy with happiness.

"Are there more items like this you must seek out?" Elrond asked.

Elladan nodded; he knew Elrohir did too.

Elrond smirked, "Then you should feel glad that you have that in your defense. You would not have the amount of freedom you do now if it were otherwise."

'I am sure being tethered is still a possibility for us.' Elladan amended.

"There is one thing," Celebrían spoke at last.

Elladan looked at her, apprehensive. What could be the problem now?

Celebrían gazed at them regretfully. "I cannot have you both tromping through our home with all that mud."

Elladan's head dropped face first into the dirt like he had passed out while Elrohir made an undignified whine. He should not have expected anything less.

"I will leave you to it," Elrond stood up. "There is something I must see to that may help you in your wanderings."

'It does not matter, Ada.' Elladan ignored the gentle nudge Celebrían made with her foot to prompt him to get up to face the inevitable. 'It does not matter at all.'