The Hobbit Imagines

September 7

(Imagine Elrond visiting Sherlock Holmes: A game of shadows)

Elrond and the man sat opposite from each other. The man in front of him looking curious at him, shamelessly checking his body with his eyes to determine if the had any weapons with him. Elrond tried to determine the same thing. Though the man in front of him didn't appear dangerous. He could sense the man was intelligent and was always a step ahead of other's. And maybe a little anti-social at times.

'So, what was your name again?' the man asked him. 'My name is Elrond. And I believe your name is Sherlock Holmes?' Sherlock nodded. A smirk appeared on his face. 'Well then, I think it's in your best interest to come with me. At least until you have find a way to get back to your home.' With that Sherlock turned around and proceeded his way.

Elrond raised his brows. 'And why may that be?' Sherlock turned around and cocked his head to one side. 'Because right now I am the only you can trust, and I think I am not wrong. No, I'm sorry, I know I'm not wrong.' He walks closer to Elrond who is slightly amused with the man's personality. 'Right now I have to get my hands on a parcel I believe is to be of great interest to a certain somebody. And if I'm right, which I usually am, we can save some lives by retrieving it.'

Elrond nodded. 'For now I will help you with your quest. In what way will you need my services?' Sherlock twists his mouth. 'For now you may follow me, but try not to get in my way.' He turns around and walks away before peeking at Elrond from over his shoulder. 'You have to promise me you won't interject in anything that will happen next. Oh, and we will need to disguise you as soon as possible.'

With that he turns around the corner, expecting Elrond to follow him. Elrond merely chuckles and decides he will follow him. Sherlock reminded him of someone back in Middle-Earth. They may not completely share the same personality trades but still, there was something familiar. He would have loved to see Gandalf and Sherlock talking together. It would surely end in a discussion pretty quickly.

'Are you coming or not?' A distant voice asked him. He sighed and followed Sherlock. But when he walked around the corner he was met with a disguised Sherlock. He seemed to be proud at himself. 'I know this is a disguise, but it's still me. Here!' Sherlock said while tossing some clothes, a head and a glassed to Elrond. He caught them in time and was pleased to see he didn't have to wear pants.

'I think these clothes will fit you. Now, you must change, and be sure to be quick about it.' Sherlock turned around to give some privacy to Elrond. Elrond wasn't very self-conscious, but to undress in an alley was asking a lot of his respectability. He was still an elf, and they were neat and tidy people. He blushed slightly before doing as he was told. Sherlock had already made it quite clear that this quest was of utter importance.

When he was done he coughed to let Sherlock know he was done. 'Why did it take you so long?' Sherlock asked annoyed. Elrond wanted to answer the question but didn't get the chance. 'Follow me! We've lost a lot of time already. We must go straight away.' And before Elrond could ask a question Sherlock was already on his way again. Now he started to doubt if he was right to follow Sherlock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sherlock lead them to a busy street and Elrond thought it was quite crowded and messy. The city reminded him of human's city's and towns back in Middle-Earth. He had never understood how any creature could live like this. But apparently it was quite normal around humans. 'Come on, we're running late.' Sherlock walked to the other side of the street and laid down on something that looked like a wooden bed.

He looked like he was about to sleep until he looked at Elrond. 'Don't just stand there! Get behind me and act like you are asleep as well! Or do something else for all I care, but don't just stand there!' Elrond felt like he wanted to argue with this rude person. And he didn't feel compelled to lay down on that mattress but he didn't really have another option. He didn't want to be the one to ruin this man's quest.

So he listened to the order he had been given and sat down behind the wooden bed. 'Do you see that man with the parcel?' Sherlock muttered. Elrond wouldn't have heard it if he didn't have his elf ears. He looked around until he saw a man walking by with a parcel in his hands. Elrond followed him until the man seemed to hand the parcel over to a brown-haired woman.

So they were on a quest to retrieve the parcel from that young woman? Now Elrond was doubting if he had chosen the right side. But there was something about the woman that told Elrond he had. He couldn't specify his feelings but if Sherlock was right that parcel was of great importance. He wouldn't know if he didn't follow Sherlock and frankly he didn't know what else to do at this point.

The woman walked past them and Sherlock got up. Elrond followed him, not needing an order from Sherlock this time. They walked by a market and Sherlock picked up some rice and beans by a market stall. But he didn't pay for them. Elrond raised his eyebrows and dropped some of his own money in the owner's hand, who looked confused at him. But Elrond didn't feel like it was right to steal from other creatures, even if they were on a quest.

Sherlock rolled his eyes at him and followed the woman. Elrond decided it was time to not stand in Sherlock's way and turned right. He could still see Sherlock and the woman, but he also saw four man who seemed to be following them as well. Now he knew this quest was indeed of importance. Why else would so many people follow the same parcel?

Bell's were ringing when Sherlock got closer to the woman. Suddenly the woman was turning around, apparently her attention got attracted by something else. Then Sherlock walked up next to her and got the parcel from under her arm. Elrond smiled. Indeed he did a great job to pick up a parcel from under someone's arm without them noticing. Maybe his arrogance was based on experience.

He couldn't hear what they were saying but he saw three of the man who had been following them before, still following Sherlock and the woman. Elrond tried to keep up with Sherlock and the woman on the other side of the market stalls. But suddenly they disappeared from his sight. Sherlock had dragged the woman behind a carriage. Elrond sped up and was next to the carriage in no time. He could hear Sherlock talk;

'Three men have been following you for the last half mile their motives highly unsavory.' Well, that was where Sherlock was wrong. At least he had noticed three of the four man who had been following them. Elrond was quite impressed with Sherlock's ability to notice his surroundings in the way he did. 'No' the woman replied in a faked anxious tone. Elrond got the feeling Sherlock was being tricked, but he had made it quite clear that Elrond wasn't allowed to intervene with this.

So he did nothing and followed them when the woman lead herself and Sherlock into an ally. Elrond following from a distance and noticed one of the man had entered the ally before. And when Sherlock and the woman walked into the ally the other three followed as well. 'So it is a trap' Elrond muttered to himself. He got closer to the ally as well but didn't enter. He would try to remain out of sight.

Sherlock and the woman where in the middle of the group of man when the woman gasps but suddenly starts smiling. 'Oh, and, by the way, they're not pursuing me, they're escorting me. And instead of three, there seem to be, uh, four' she says. 'Heh' Sherlock says seemingly not to fond with the new information. The woman takes back the parcel from Sherlock and says something Elrond can't hear before walking away.

The man and Sherlock start whistling and suddenly the fight starts. Elrond feels like he want's to help Sherlock but he was specifically told not to. So with gritted teeth he stays where he is. He turns around and finally hears something click and Sherlock calling him. 'Come with me!'

Elrond turns around and sees three men laying on the ground, probably dead, and the fourth one still standing. He walks by and the fourth man runs away when he sees Elrond. Elrond catches up with Sherlock pretty easily. 'Are you alright? That sounded like a hard fight down there.' But Sherlock shrugs. 'It was nothing, nothing that I hadn't expected.' Elrond cocks his head and raised an eyebrow.

'You expected this?' That's why you got trapped, he thought to himself. 'Hmph, of course I did. Can you see the woman we were following?' Elrond looks around and easily finds the woman across the street. Sherlock follows his eyes and smiles. 'Ah, well, at least we didn't lose her! Come on, we need to be quick now. When I hold the parcel I felt it ticking, I'm pretty sure it's some kind of a bomb.'

Sherlock crossed the street without paying attention to traffic. Elrond followed him, more careful, and apologized to everyone who needed to hit the breaks hard to try and avoid hitting Sherlock. This man didn't only have something in common with Gandalf. Elrond was sure that if Sherlock had been born in Middle-Earth he would have been a dwarf.