Title: The Itch

Author: Elentirmo aka Misty

E-mail: mistycracraft@yahoo.com

Rating: G

Summary: Elladan and Elrohir meet a stranger in the woods.

Disclaimers: I don't own anything of Tolkien's; Middle Earth, the twins, etc. I also do not own anything related to certain medicines. This will make more sense after you've read the story.

"Make it stop, El!" The voice that uttered these words was whining, and had been for some time.

"I do not know how, El," came another, tired voice. They had been over this already. Elrohir watched his older brother as he rubbed his back against a tree, much as a bear would do if it had an itch. It was not that he did not have sympathy for his brother's predicament, but he was getting tired of saying the same thing, over and over. "We have tried everything we had for treatment of poison ivy, Elladan. If you would just leave that tree, we could return home to Ada and let him treat it."

Elladan glared at his brother. "I will never make it more than a few steps from this tree. My back is on fire."

"And how does rubbing it against the tree help anything? If you had paid more attention to where you laid down after our swim, you would not be in this situation."

"And if you had not been distracting me, I might have been able to pay more attention to our surroundings."

"Me? How is this my fault?"

"You told that story about the man and the pig. I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I could not see the plants that I leaned against."

"Well, that is hardly my fault. You should know better than to lean against any plants without knowing what they are."

Elladan opened his mouth to respond to his brother's assertion, when a figure dropped out of the trees near them. Both brothers gaped at this new arrival. It was a tall, dark-haired elf dressed all in blue. He was wearing a bright blue tunic and leggings.

"Perchance I may be of assistance," he said as he approached them.

"Who are you and how may you be able to help us?" Elladan asked.

"I have a new remedy for poison ivy and all manner of skin irritations," the elf said. "I could not help but overhear your conversation. Would you like to try it?" The elf held out a jar filled with a white cream.

The twins looked at each other. They did not know this elf, or what his intentions were. But Elladan was desperate enough to try anything. "Yes, please," he said.

The elf approached Elladan as he opened the jar. Elladan stepped away from the tree and allowed the other elf to spread the white cream into the reddened skin on his back. The relief came almost immediately. Elladan sighed and relaxed. The other elf smiled and closed the jar, tucking it back into his pack.

"How can I thank you?" Elladan asked as he turned around to face the elf.

"No thanks are necessary," the elf said. He bowed to the twins and turned to head back into the trees.

"Wait, at least tell us your name," Elrohir called to him.

The elf looked back at them. "Elidel." With that, he turned back around and walked into the surrounding woods.

Elladan walked over to join Elrohir. "Who was that elf in blue?"

Elrohir shook his head helplessly. "I don't know." He looked down the path the elf had taken. There was no sign of him. "But I think we will be better off if we do not tell Ada about this little encounter."

Elladan thought for a moment. His father would think them crazy if they told him this story. "Agreed."

They mounted their horses and headed for home.

The End

A/N: Elidel belongs to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation and is actually for eczema, not poison ivy. But I was watching TV, and every time this commercial came on, I would think 'Oh, he must be Elladan and Elrohir's long lost brother'. OK, so I'm a little odd, but I couldn't get this thought out of my mind. The story didn't actually take that path, but I had to do something with it. Sorry for inflicting my pseudo-insanity on you, but I had to write this to get the bunny to leave me alone.