Title: The Trouble With Elflings

Rating: PG

Summary: Young Legolas and friends! They play such wonderful tricks!

Disclaimer: Do I look like a respectable author? Don't belong to me, never did, sigh, never will.

The ceiling could do with some colour; yes a nice bright green would be nice. How he was going to make the stone turn green was beyond him but it would be something to consider. With a sigh, the clear blue eyes swept down the throne room to the endless droning sound that was successfully putting the King of Mirkwood to sleep.

"Of, course we knew that the barrels needed fixing but that was the job of the men from the dale. I thought of offering assistance but there was nothing in the contract to…"

a sudden clashing of metal broke the councillor's speech off as ten guards entered the room, saluting at the entrance before marching up the long corridor to the front of the throne room. Amongst the troops were some small elfings, all of who had a look of dread upon their faces.

"I'm sorry but the problem with the barrels will have to wait. I take it this interruption is a matter of importance?" Thranduil finished the question with a raise of his eyebrow, silently communicating to his head of guard to rid him of this boresome menace.

"of course you highness, any matter involving a member of the royal family is of great importance." With a grin, Tolmen pushed forward a trembling blonde elfing.

The councillor bowed and left the throne room as Thranduil silently groaned. Legolas had managed to give him more trouble than all of his children combined. He suspected that it wasn't as much that Legolas was the problem but the presence of the other five elfings who always seemed to be present when trouble was involved.

The young prince suddenly broke off the restraint of the guard and ran up to the throne and crawled onto his fathers lap. Small sobs racked the tiny body as he clung to Thranduil.

"I-I didn't mean to! Twas an acc-ccident!" Caving in with a sigh, Thranduil hugged Legolas to him; he knew it was no use to try and punish the boy. The child was his favourite and had a knack of worming his way out of things.

At the foot of the stage, the other elfings were grinning in triumph, however one look from the guard quickly sent those smiles off their young faces.

Looking over the prince's blonde head, Thranduil stared hard at the young elfings, whose faces suddenly looked sombre and dreadfully innocent. With a communal sob, all five of them rushed forward and joined Legolas in his cries. The King of all of Mirkwood suddenly looked very helpless.

"Alright, alright! I'm sure whatever you did was an accident! Now go and tidy yourselves up. I'll see you little imps at dinner, on time AND presentable!"

A chorus of yeses and of courses came from the children as they all scampered out of the throne room.

Thranduil sighed and slumped in his throne and passed a weary hand over his eyes. With a defeated face he looked up to meet the features of his head of guard. Tolmen sympathised with Thranduil as they were both used to the adventures of those imps.

"What did they do, anyway?"

"They were using the jewels out of the treasury as skipping stones in the great river, your majesty."

Thranduil froze.

"How many?" He whispered, almost scared of the answer.

"I got the impression they had been doing this for a couple of hours. As the jewels were lost into the deep, we really don't have much idea."

….

"Get them back in here, NOW!"

However, the giggling elflings were far away from the palace by then. Pushing back her long blonde curls, Arieindyo leaned against a tree, unable to stop her giggling.

"That was so much fun! Again! Let's do it again!" Trisain a sturdy, serious youth gave her a withering look.

"Are you daft? They won't let us anywhere NEAR treasury every again! We are going to get grounded, I know it!" He plonked himself on the ground and started some serious sulking.

Legolas and Ranna, a fiery eyed girl, were whispering secretly to eachother. Grins were firmly in place on their faces, obviously it wasn't over yet.

"Just WHAT are you two thinking of now? I got my foot stamped on by one of the soldiers and am NOT going to join in on any of your games, until tomorrow." With a flip of his long, blonde locks, Trisain glared at the couple and he was not alone in his complaints. With a shrug, Legolas and Ranna left there companions who were obviously not going to be any fun anymore.

"Well, what should we do now?"

"How am I suppose to know?"

Their small minds busy at work, the pair wandered further and further away from the palace grounds.

"I've got it!" Ranna jumped up, excitedly, on top of a fallen log, very pleased with herself. "We sneak into your sister's cambers and plant a fake love letter, she'll go mad trying to figure out who it's from!"

"That's stupid!"

"Tis not!"

"What would you know?"

"Well, you're just a girl!"

"AM NOT" With a cry she launched herself at the price and soon they were both covered in mud and bruises.

"Interesting form of amusement for a prince and a lady."

Both froze and looked sheepishly up to see Enyala, Legolas's mother, sitting on the fallen log. She was truly a breathtaking site for any to behold. Legolas took after his mother in many ways but there was no elf that could match her for pure gracefulness. Seeming to float, she stood up and moved towards the elflings.

She sighed at there dirty clothes and bruised faces.

"We are going to have to work on finding you children a different form of amusement. I hear you made your father angry again with one of your pranks." She neither glared nor showed any delight on her face, she merely remained neutral.

"And you, Ranna, your father will not be pleased. You should really try and act a little bit more like a lady."

"But I don't want to be a lady! Came the protest.

"And I don't want to be a gentleman!"

Enyala eyed them both them both calmly.

"Then don't get caught next time."