Chapter 4:

Pranks and Discovery

Zefron and Zefra ran down the halls with their robes flowing behind them. When they came to two hallways they decided to split up. Elrohir, Elladan and Legolas soon came to that intersection still soaking wet in their colourful dyes.

"Which way?" asked Legolas looking down one hallway then the other.

"Elladan and I will go this way. You go the other," said Elrohir as he and his twin went down the hall that Zefron had. Legolas rolled his eyes and went the opposite way. Zefra could hear someone running behind her.

'Where is it…?' Zefra said to herself as she felt on a wall for the handle that opened up into a secret passage. She could hear the person getting closer to her when she finally found it.

"Stop!" called Legolas seeing Zefra as she pushed a stone in and disappeared down a dark passageway. It started to close and Legolas barely managed to get inside before it closed, down some stairs and into darkness.

'He's still following me?!' thought Zefra as she rounded a corner and waited for Legolas to go by when she heard voices coming from the other side of the wall. As Legolas walked by she reached out and put her hand over his mouth and dragged him over to a crack in the wall beside her.

"Why are you following me?" whispered Zefra as her eyes adjusted to the dim light.

"Mostly because of the fact that you and your brother dumped green dye over me," replied Legolas. Zefra thought for a moment.

"That's a good point. I am sorry but you aren't aloud to be in here," said Zefra. "Go back out the way you came and I shall be with you in a few moments." Legolas looked at her for a few seconds then followed her instructions. Zefra stayed back a few minutes while she listened in on a conversation in the throne room between Thranduil and Acon.

"I will bring it up at my council tomorrow but I assure you that they are real," said Acon as Thranduil was looking over something that Zefra couldn't see at the moment he smiled and finished with. "Mirkwood rightfully belongs to me." Zefra muffled a gasp and hoped to the Valar that they hadn't heard it.

"I do believe that these are true but why bring these up after all these years?" asked Thranduil getting up from a desk.

"My son Cúion gave them to me… we must come up with a solution or else our kingdoms way have to go to war over the kingdom," said Acon. Zefra started getting mad now… she knew that her father loved wars.

"One possible way would be for our kingdoms to unite under some circumstances," sighed Thranduil. Suddenly Zefra's eyes started glowing red she was so mad, so she had to leave their conversation as to not be discovered.

"Zefra!" called Elrohir as he, Elladan, Legolas and Zefron came running towards her. They stopped when they saw her eyes. Zefron made a signal to run to her room, which she did do.

"Leave her alone," said Zefron stopping the twins from running after her. "She is quite mad right now and your presence would only make it worse."

"Alright but one question," said Elladan turning around to face the smaller elf. "How do we get this dye out?" the sides of Zefron's mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh.

"Just use water. It will work for your skin and clothes but not really for your hair," replied Zefron looking at the looks of dread on the three elves faces. A slamming door and some curses in elvish brought them back to the real world. Zefra came into view still wearing her dress but now had her crimson cloak and had a quiver of arrows over one shoulder and was holding her bow.

"Where is she going?" asked Legolas watching Zefra mutter to herself as she passed them and headed outside.

"Probably going out to the archery fields and going to kill the targets again," replied Zefron. "She set them aflame last time somehow," he added when he saw the confused looks on their faces. The three nodded and they all went to their rooms without further delay.

Next day…

Zefra woke up only to find herself still at the archery field.

"Tan û-vear," (That was not good) said Zefra running inside and into her room. After changing into dark green leggings, green under tunic and over tunic with a dark blue cloak. She quickly strapped her quiver of arrows onto her back and picked up her bow. Them walked out of her room and down the hallway to her twin's bedroom.

"Where were you last night?" asked Cúion walking out of his room and over to his little sister. Zefra averted her eyes.

"Traitor," she muttered as she brushed past him. "You'd best get ready for Ada's council." She quickly walked away from him… until she bumped into Elrohir and his very visible purple hair, which he tried to conceal with a green cloak.

"Hello Zefra," he said almost too calmly. Zefra looked up at him.

"Good day Elrohir," she said trying not to laugh at his hair and how purple it still was.

Elrohir was about to say something when a door opened up behind him and Elladan walked out with a dark blue cloak and hood on. Zefra decided that it was a good time to leave and get her twin so she slipped by Elrohir and knocked on her brother's door.

"Come in," was the reply from inside. Zefra opened it up and walked in, closing it behind her. Zefron was just strapping on his quiver when his sister flopped onto his bed.

"Cúion betrayed us Zef," sighed Zefra. Zefron looked at her clearly confused. "He gave them to Ada."

"Then you are right about him being a traitor," replied her twin walking over to his balcony and watching all the elves in the kingdom. After a few seconds of silence there was a knock at the door.

"Your highness? Your presence is requested in the dining room," said a servant from the other side of the door. Zefron walked over, opened up the door and started talking to the servant. Zefra came bounding over to him.

"Let's go. I'm starving," she said walking out with her twin hot on her heals.

"Zefra!" called Arwen running over to the slightly older elf as the twins walked towards the room. "I saw what you did to my brothers and Legolas. They look so funny!"

"I helped too you know," said Zefron pretending to look hurt. Zefra punched him lightly in the arm before taking Arwen's small hand and leading her to the dining room. The first thing she saw was the three cloaked and hooded elves near a corner.

"Go and ask your Naneth if you are aloud to come swimming with us within the hour," said Zefra to Arwen who nodded her raven head and ran off to find her parents. Zefron was busy talking to Cúion quietly and Zefra went right for the food.

"Enjoying your new hair colour Elladan?" asked Zefra looking over at the blue hooded elf beside her. Elladan glared daggers at her.

"Elladan, Elrohir. Please remove your hoods at the table it is not very courteous," said Elrond walking up behind his sons who both looked at him in a panic. Elrond looked at them both and the twins pushed back their hoods with great reluctance. Everyone around them did their best to contain their laughter but most of them didn't manage.

"Legolas. You too," said Thranduil looking at him son. Legolas did as he was told and pushed back his hood revealing his dark green hair that only caused the others to laugh harder. Zefra grabbed some lembas bread from the plate and walked over to the three elves.

"We're going swimming soon. Would you three like to join us?" she asked.

"But of course," replied Elladan after exchanging looks with Legolas and Elrohir. Zefra smiled and shoved a piece of the bread in her mouth before Arwen ran over to her with Zefron in tow.

"Naneth said that I can come Zef!" she called stopping in front of her. Zefra laughed.

"We shall meet you at the barn in a few minutes," she said to the three before Arwen grabbed her hand too and dragged the twins out of the room.

"I think they've got Arwen on their side El," said Elrohir.

"I think so too. But we're older and more experienced so therefore we will win," replied his twin pulling his hood back up as he left the room to get ready and obtain his weapons for their little journey.

Outside by the barn…

Zefra, Zefron and Arwen walked into the barn after waiting for a few seconds of waiting for the older elves.

"You can ride with me Ary," said Zefra walking over to her horse and starting to put the saddle onto her.

"All right, what's her name?" she asked watching Zefra tack up her horse.

"Antval it means powerful gift," replied Zefra stroking her horse's dark brown neck.

"What a beautiful name for her. You like to ride with a saddle?" asked Arwen.

"Yes I know she is very strange," replied Zefron putting the reigns onto his horse, Sirdail. Arwen giggled as Zefra made a strange face at her twin. Legolas, Elrohir and Elladan walked into the barn with their hoods down for once showing off their different coloured hair.

"Why hullo there," said Zefra finishing tacking up her horse then feeling her hair for some reason, then cursing in elvish when she realized that it was still up in a bun. Zefron walked over to his sister and took the bun out for her, making her blond hair fall down past her shoulders in hundreds of tiny braids.

"Good day. I will show you where your horses are," said Zefron walking to the back of the stalls with Legolas, Elrohir and Elladan following him.

"Oh and don't worry, I am sure you know who's is who's." said Zefra. Arwen was grinning at them. The three exchanged semi-worried glances as they reached the stalls.

"Thank you," said Elrohir as he went into his horses' stall and stopped. Only because all of their horses were dyed the same colour as their hair! Legolas gave an annoyed look at Zefron because his had been pure white beforehand and now it was green.

"Where are we going?" asked Legolas getting his horse and leading him out while trying not to curse. Zefra and Arwen lead them out of the barn whilst trying not to fall off of Antval from laughing.

"To Uruloki Linae," (Dragon Lake) replied Zefron. "No one but us knows of its existence thanks to Zefra."

"That is correct," said Zefra making sure that her quiver was strapped tightly onto her.

"Follow us because it is in the heart of the forest and you don't want to get lost," said Zefron before kicking Sirdail and galloping off towards the forest behind the palace. The trio quickly followed pursuit.

Within a half an hour Arwen started getting restless.

"Are we there yet?" she asked for the hundredth time.

"No if we were there we would see water," said Elladan getting a bit annoyed at his little sister. Arwen turned around and stuck her tongue out at him. Suddenly Antval stopped dead in her tracks.

"What is it Antval?" Zefra asked her horse. Zefron looked into the forest on either side of the path and quickly drew an arrow and shot it at what he saw.

"Oh Valar," cursed Elrohir as a dead warg fell into sight. Zefra jumped down and handed Arwen the reigns.

"Get to the lake and hide in the cave," said Zefra to a frightened Arwen. "Noro lim Antval, noro lim!" Antval went running deeper to the forest with Arwen clinging to the reigns and her mane.

"Do you think there are more…?" started Zefra when her question was answered and warg after warg came out of the forest!

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what'd ya tink? please review! & i'm STILL in need of a title! so please give me sudjestions!!!