This is just a bunch of random silliness! Hope you like it. Please, no flames!

Mud Fights Aren't Simply a Human Affair

One Shot

Rivendell was drawing nearer and nearer with every pounding step his horse took. Legolas squeezed his legs and urged his horse to move faster, his Elven heart pounding hard and keeping time with the beat of his horse's hooves.

The trees whipped past him in a blur of greens and browns. He had been filed with mounting excitement for the past tree days and finally, when Elrond had rode out to them an hour before, Thranduil had let his son rush ahead to see the twins and Estel early.

His horse panted and snorted, rushing faster and faster, trying to please her excited master. The horse seemed spurred on by his emotions and soon they were flying over boulders, holes and downed logs, keeping pace with the wind.

The gates were strangely unguarded but Legolas put no more then a passing thought into it. He turned his horse right and raced down the rocky path, the valley far below him. It was a breathtaking sight, but one he had seen many times before. The path down to the city of Rivendell was narrow and paved with loose gravel. On the outer edges of the road were large boulders and then, beside them, a steep drop. Large rocky outcroppings jutted out around the valley walls, covered in pines. Mountains loomed above them and water falls emptied their contents into the deep bowl.

Legolas had first seen this as a small Elfling, riding in front of his father. He'd been blown away by the sheer beauty of it but now it was nothing. His destination was Rivendell, which, at the moment, seemed so far away.

He rushed through the main opening and into the courtyard. There was a large crowd of Elves here, seeming half the population of Rivendell. They were crowded into a circle, cheering loudly and taking bets from heir neighbors. Legolas' curiosity peaked, especially when he saw the gate guards at the forefront of the circle, cheering the loudest.

From the bridges above the scene, Elflings sat in small huddles, their feet hanging over the edges of their perches, swinging in the afternoon air. Some waved at him when they saw him but most didn't even give him the time of day, so transfixed were they on the scene in the middle of the circle.

Legolas made to dismount and see what all the fuss was about when something wet slapped him in the face, obscuring his vision. Stunned, and half out of his saddle, Legolas fell the rest of the way off his horse and landed on his backside, hard.

A semi-silence fell as Legolas sat on the ground, slightly stunned and rubbing the substance out of his eyes and hair…it was mud. Some of the nearby Elves had just realized the Prince of Mirkwood had been splattered in the face and were trying hard not to laugh while others couldn't contain it. Some female giggling could be heard from the bridge.

Legolas glared up at the group and saw the Twins of Elrond emerge from the center of the circle, covered in mud from head to foot. Grinning, they rushed over and pulled Legolas to his feet.

"Are you alright, Legolas?" Elladan asked, rubbing mud from his own eyes. Legolas gazed at the two twins, speechless. They both resembled nothing more then two large, walking mud puddles and the laughing human trudging up behind them looked no better. "Did we hurt you?"

"No." Legolas answered, trying to muster up the last of his shattered pride. "What are you doing?"

"Mud fight." Estel answered, coming to stand beside his foster brothers. He cocked his head to the side and reached out a hand, running it through Legolas' hair and pulled away a clump of mud with his fingers. "Sorry, my aim went off."

"You threw that?" Legolas hissed. Estel nodded, watching his friend and then burst out laughing. He doubled up and clutched his sides, sending tendrils of mud falling onto the leafy ground.

"And you should have seen your face, Legolas!" Estel stood up straight, still laughing. "It was priceless!" Legolas didn't find it remotely funny.

"I need to change now, if you will excuse me." He stalked off around the twins and made his way forward to the stairs into the hall, his excitement ebbed away completely.

"Legolas, are you mad?" Elrohir asked slyly, coming up behind the Prince. Though there was concern in his voice, Legolas felt it was some what diminished by the humor laced through it.

"Nothing a bath won't fix." Legolas said, skirting two Elves who were grinning.

"Good old Legolas." Estel sighed. "You're so ready to forgive." Estel's hand shot out and he grabbed Legolas' arm. The Elf stopped and slowly turned to face his friend. "No hard feelings, I trust?"

Legolas glanced down at his feet and grined, shaking his head. "No Estel, no hard feelings." Estel smiled and nodded. He turned away and approached the mud puddle, much to the joy of the Elves for they began cheering. With a last look, the twins turned to follow.

Estel had almost reached the puddle when Legolas' voice called his name. Turning, the young human was surprised when a large glob of mud hit him square in the face, knocking him off his feet.

When he'd recovered from his shock, Estel sat up and rubbed away the sticky brown goop, peering at Legolas who was wiping his muddy hands on his tunic; a large mud puddle winked innocently in the sun at his feet.

There was a shocked silence around the clearing as all the Elves stared at Legolas Thranduilion, the proper, non-spontaneous, young Elf who was always banging on about good behavior and setting an 'example'.

Legolas grinned at the looks of shock and then said simply, "No hard feelings, Estel." He turned to move up the stairs but before he'd reached them, Elladan and Elrohir had grabbed him and were carrying him as he struggled viciously. With identical grins, they dropped him in the mud puddle they'd been fighting in before the Prince's arrival.

Legolas cried out in alarm but his shock was quickly covered with the cheers of the crowd. The four friends fought in the mud viciously, bowling each other over, tackling each other and feeding them 'mudpies'.

Meanwhile, Elrond and Thranduil were just entering the first gate into the Valley, discussing their children.

"Legolas has been a real influence on my sons." Elrond said with a grin. "You should be very proud of him. He has a level head on his shoulders."

"Yes." Thranduil nodded, also smiling. "He's one Elfling I've never worried about. I know, now that he's grown, he'll be alright. He's never spontaneous and never a trouble maker."

"Unlike my twins." Elrond laughed. "Legolas' constant presence seems to have calmed them, however, as with Estel." Cheers and whistles suddenly met their ears. The two Elves slowed their horses and listened intently.

"Odd." Elrond muttered, his eyebrows rose. "It almost sounds like a festival fight."

"No one would be fighting." Thranduil said fairly, watching the city below them. Elrond's eyes darkened suddenly.

"Elrohir, Elladan and Estel." He growled their names and spurred his horse on faster. When they entered the courtyard they were stunned by the circle of Elves huddled their. The large group was cheering, facing inwards.

Elrond dismounted with Thranuil and the cheers died as the Elves were alerted to their presence. As Elrond moved forward, the King of Mirkwood following behind, the group parted and soon they saw three indistinct figures in the middle of the large mud puddle, formed from the week's rain.

The figures in the mud didn't notice the cheers had died and the new arrivals for a few minutes. It wasn't until a muddy figure with dripping; short brown hair looked up, his grey eyes bulging with surprise. He elbowed a blind haired figure in the ribs who in turn elbowed and brunette who elbowed his twin.

Soon, the attention of the muddy figures were drawn, fearfully and completely on Elrond and Thranduil. "Estel!" Elrond barked. The figure with short brown hair slowly stood and moved from the mud puddle with loud squelching steps. "Elrohir!" A second figure emerged. "Elladan!"

All that was left now was the figure of… "Legolas Thranduilion!" Thranduil barked. The blond figure rose a little slower then the others and walked with more painful steps as though being led to the gallows. "At my side, now!"

Legolas' blue eyes were cast to the ground in shame as he took his place beside his father who appraised his guilty son.

Elrond, who was more used to such behavior then Thranduil, shot out his thin hands and closed them around Elrohir's left ear and Elladan's right. With their father's vice like grip on them, the twins were marched away into the bath chambers.

Thranduil only had to give his son a look for the Elf to follow him, Estel trailing along obediently in his wake. Estel looked back over his shoulder just before he reached the hall and saw the other Elves watching him. With a smile, he burst out laughing and closed the door to the bath chamber.

The End!