The adventures of tiny Crablor by Aprilertuile

---

The council of Elrond

---

Everyone had come, it was time for the council, and despite already having a headache from the presence of the One Ring within Imladris’ borders, Elrond was ready to defend the fact that the ring absolutely could NOT stay here for much longer and that yes, it needed to be destroyed once and for all.

He didn’t doubt at all that someone would suggest using it, probably one of the men in attendance. Men were always so reliable in their ability to poke at things they really shouldn’t approach. Elrond was so deep in his thought that he didn’t notice that Maglor was still in his pocket, his tiny harp now silent for Maglor knew very well that if Elrond noticed him, he’d be put down and told that the current issue of jewellery from the pits of Mordor was not his concern and he should concentrate on himself and getting better and perhaps getting back in elven form at some point before the cooks mistook him for an actual crab.

So Maglor made himself very discreet and forgettable, and by luck, Elrond was by now so used to carrying him around that his presence was perfectly familiar, and he was an unnoticeable weight for the peredhel lord.

He may be tiny, and half a crab, but he was still Maglor, son of Fëanor, and he could always help, if only with his voice. Granted, faced with an orc he’d be lucky if he was noticed and not just stepped on but hey… With that council at least he could do something.

Perhaps.

Elrond sat in a stone seat, and Maglor moved just slightly to be able to see what was happening. Really, Elrond needed better pockets, he’d have to speak about him on the matter at some point.

The bell rang, and others invited to the council came in. Glorfinddel, Gloin and his company, Estel, Gandalf, Frodo and Bilbo…

Elrond drew Frodo to a seat by his side, and presented him to the present company. Maglor listened to everyone quietly, the tales of the other realms were interesting. And of course, he listened carefully to the tale of the One Ring too.

He shook his head at the story. Really his nephew should have known better than to trust a maia. And yet, he didn’t deserve the end he was given. If he had known… Oh, how Maglor longed to be able to put his pincers on Gorthaur’s neck and to tear him apart like he did small prawns…

Maglor looked aggrieved at the news of the fall of Numenor, though it may have been then that a wave drew him in the ocean’s depth. Since his transformation, he certainly hadn’t talked with humans to barter for things he couldn’t make himself or he’d have certainly heard of Numenor’s destruction. Surely such an event wouldn’t have been unnoticed by the common folk in Eriador…

Or perhaps it wouldn’t have been. It was an island far removed from Eriador after all.

When Elrond told the tale of Isildur’s decision to take the ring, Maglor almost pinched him. Elrond should really have taken ring and man into the volcano and thrown them both in it if that’s what it took to destroy that pest of a Maia.

“Behold Isildur's Bane!” said Elrond once Frodo showed the ring.

Maglor sprang up from the pocket and Elrond reacted too slowly to stop him from reaching his shoulder… And then sighed. Since he was here anyway…

Boromir opened his mouth to speak, eyes wholly stuck on the ring, but Maglor was faster to speak:

“Are you kidding me? That’s the Ring? Everyone who knows a thing about jewellery knows that gold is the worst material to use for it’s too malleable and too fragile to hold shape! Is Sauron an idiot? Honestly, I can see from here the spells to strengthen the ring itself so it doesn’t collapses on itself! Why couldn’t that idiotic maia use something less flashy but more useful as material, instead of using something wholly unsuitable that required a truly unnecessary layering of spell work?! My father would have done so. Much. Better than that !”

Elrond’s head fell in his hands even as he emitted a very much unlordly whimper of distress.

“What kind of creature is that? Since when do elves have talking pets?” Boromir blinked, shocked and slightly distracted from the ring, as Maglor smugly noticed.

Though…

“Excuse-you?! DO I LOOK LIKE A PET?!”

The voice reached ear shattering levels, and Elrond was sure he heard a window crack nearby. Boromir cowed away from ring and elves alike at the sound that gave him a headache.

Maglor was fuming.

A pet indeed. He was a prince of elves!

Elrond looked at Erestor at his side and the look of exasperation on the other’s face was telling. Elrond raised a hand, even as Maglor was vibrating of rage, and just daring Boromir to say just one more word, and said:

“Excuse-me just a moment.”

He caught Maglor in his hands, as carefully as ever, but firmly, and even as Maglor started to rant about the brain of men, or perhaps the lack of thereof, nicely insulting everyone of the men currently in residence, Elrond left the council for a moment, walking fast toward his office even as Elladan came to him, looking curious.

“We heard…”

“I think the whole valley heard, Elladan. Do me a service and take your grand-father to my office. Do NOT let him leave it again. I have a council to get back to.”

Elrond gave a ranting Maglor to Elladan who looked torn between amusement and curiosity, and left again, back toward the council.

Elladan looked at Maglor with a smile:

“Should I ask?”

That started another rant about the stupidity of men, and did he look like a pet?

Elrohir was already in their father’s office, looking over a report from the border guards, when Elladan entered with a pouting Maglor on his shoulder.

“I thought the window breaking was a grand-father shaped problem yes.” Elrohir said to his brother after he was told of the situation.

“Wait until it happens to you, you will certainly not find it that funny!”

“We will do our best to avoid drowning and being saved by lady Uinen, grand-father.” Elladan nodded amused.

Maglor huffed and left his shoulder to settle on a desk corner, pouting, and thinking. He was the second eldest off seven brothers. He raised twins. Surely there was something he could come up with, even in that diminutive form of his to teach manners to that man?

That’s how Elrond found him, hours later, after the council.

“Oh dear, should I ask or just wait for the disaster?”

“That child of a man called me a pet, Elrond. A PET!”

“Yes, we gave the council a short explanation, and they are now aware that you are a member of my family under a spell of Uinen, spell used to save your life but with long lasting effect. Boromir of Gondor wishes to present you his most sincere apologies, so please, please don’t start a war with Gondor.”

“… Technically it wouldn’t be kinslaying even if I did?”

“Please atto!”

Elrond looked at Maglor with his most pitiful face and Maglor folded like wet parchment:

“Very well, I will not retaliate against that man.”

“Thank you atto.”

Elrond was thankful that Maglor was still susceptible to his begging look. Now he just needed to keep the men and Maglor apart as long as possible.

And to perhaps prepare a letter to Galadriel and Thranduil else they learn of Maglor existence and presence in Imladris from Aragorn or Legolas.

He had no illusion that either of them will take it well…