Chapter 9: Little Ellyths Can Prank Too

Elrond was running around with poor Erestor trying to keep on with him. His chief counselor might had been quite advanced in scholar-like activities like reading and such but Elrond needed to remind him to go outside and exercise a while, for the poor elf needed it. They'd been running around Imladris, hopping down and up through stairs, Erestor clutching his quill and paper following Elrond. It was tedious work but at the end, as they returned to Elrond's office, they had all the information. However, tomorrow and the days after that would be even more tedious for today, they were only getting information for the food.

"Now tell me Erestor, how are we in the food preparations? Drinks?" he asked as he settled in his great office chair and Erestor sat in front of him, scribbling heatedly.

"Um...not so good, Lord Elrond. It seems we've run out of wine for now but we have a few barrels of ale to replace for now. We have one barrel of mead left, and that's good but I'm sure mead is very popular, so it will be gone soon."

Elrond sighed. "What about...breads and pastries?"

Erestor shook his head gravely. "Not so good either. The bakers are working day and night but they don't have all the supplies and not enough people for the celebration. You know...we really aren't getting anywhere, Elrond."

"Let us just go ahead," said Elrond frustrated. "What do we have ready?"

Erestor squinted as his list, flipping through the pages quickly licking his cracked, dry lips. "Erm...by the likes of it Elrond, we have nothing done."

Elrond cursed, although in Quenya so that nobody understood and he looked at Erestor. "Now...you are my chief counselor, please give me your council on this issue. What should we do?"

"The festival is in about five days, Lord Elrond," said Erestor. "This looks pretty hopeless but in one way, we have to make the best out of it. Especially with Legolas coming from Mirkwood and this being a yearly event. We should grab as many elves and do as much as we can, for the sake of Imladris' status."

"How many people do we have working on the festival?" asked Elrond.

Erestor calculated, he was very good at math and arithmetics. "Roughly judging, maybe three hundred."

"We need more people, it would definitely speed everything up. But where can we find more people?"

Erestor sparked up with a small idea, he grinned a small smirk. "I know this is foolish of me, but we are desperate. Do you reckon Prince Legolas' men know how to cook?"

O-O-O

"Uh..."

Lord Elrond had nagged Erestor about it but...they were desperate, really. Scraping any elves they could would do and as they went around Imladris, they had finally found Prince Legolas' company. Thirty elves, five women and twenty five men, who were sitting in one of Imladris' suites with a terrace, drinking and eating merrily when they had seen them. Of course, they'd stopped everything they'd been doing and bowed down to him, immediately asking about Legolas. But after all that was dismissed, they had asked them if they could help and that was their reaction.

"Well, I know how to churn rum," said an elf with floppy black hair that was braided down in one long braid after the awkward silence.

"How in the Valar do you know how to churn rum?" asked another elf with a reddish-brown mane, looking at him with a surprised expression. "You can barely climb a tree!"

There was laughter all around and the floppy black-haired elf replied shrugging "My grandfather was apparently a sailor, he migrated into Mirkwood or Greenwood the Great at that time. Rum is in the family blood."

He turned to Elrond and bowed down, "My name is Riellos, Lord Elrond. If you wish for my help, I would be honored to give it to you."

The other elves agreed that they'd be honored to help Lord Elrond, their host, on the festival and Elrond sighed in relief. If all Mirkwood elves were this friendly, no wonder why Thranduil was resisting against the dangers...he had good people in his realm. "I thank you all, for your cooperation but now...we must know your specific abilities."

"Hey, Amthiel!" said Riellos to a red-headed she-elf. "You should know something, you are a she-elf."

She snorted huddled along the four other she-elves, and glared at the rest of the chuckling crowd. "Yes, and I can also strip you down and throw you into Mount Doom if I wanted. I became a warrior, not a housemaid."

"Well, you must know something," insisted Erestor, a bit pressured.

"Of course I do," said the she-elf indignantly. "Before I joined the ranks, my Nana taught me how to do some baking. And I can also cook anything else you can get me. Tell me what to do my lords, and I will help as much as I can."

Soon, Lord Elrond and Erestor were assaulted by tons of excited elves, exclaiming about their abilities and boasting on how well off they were. After Erestor got them their assigned jobs, they rushed to their specific job places. They passed Riellos and Amthiel bickering with each other, arguing that they were going to the same station but as the last elf walked past, the one Elrond recognized as Ranwe, he grinned at them.

"Please forgive those two," he grinned. His leg was heavily bandaged and his walking a bit heavy, but he smiled as if it didn't hurt at all. Mirkwood elves were strong beings, indeed. "They are so smitten about each other, but too stubborn to admit it."

They laughed and Erestor nodded chuckling, "I thought only Thranduil's family has his stubbornness, but I guess it's all of his kingdom."

"Oh yes," nodded Ranwe back as he headed to the seafood station. "But it runs even worse in Thranduil's family. Once, Legolas nearly had his entire face tore off but he said he was 'fine.' Ugh, that stubborn little elfling..."

O-O-O

Their footsteps made no sound although the twins' whistling did. They whistled a soft tune concerning an elven song about an ancient story about how the sun came to be. They were in merry moods, Legolas knew and he turned around to them, "Are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course it is!" exclaimed Elladan chuckling. "Ro and I have done this millions of times, haven't we, Ro?"

"Yes," nodded Elrohir. "Besides, it's not like we're breaking any rules or going into any forbidden lands or anything else as such."

"Well, but you didn't tell your Adar about this trip, don't you think he will worry when he can't find you two at home?" asked Legolas with a concerned look in his face and the twins laughed, shaking their heads.

"That's nonsense Legolas," said Elrohir. "We're perfectly safe, Nana brought us to this creek all the time anyways. Although with Arwen's arrival, she forgot about it all."

"Besides," said Elladan. "We love running around but Adar and Nana know we will always come back. And we always do! So as long as we stick together, no harm will be done."

As the walked, the whistling continued and the forest seemed to be relatively peaceful. Legolas thought about it. His Adar would never be as careless as to let Thalos and Legolas go out alone into Mirkwood. Not like they wanted that either but still, he would never let them roam farther than the palace. He forbid it, although it was for a good reason. Despite common dangers like spiders and orcs, Legolas knew King Thranduil did not want his children to be targets for traitors in the court or enemy spies and assassins, aiming to kill the royal family of Mirkwood for some wild reason.

"But we just want to make sure Legolas," said Elrohir. "Do you really know how to swim?"

Legolas looked at the twins, sighing and looking a bit annoyed. "The fact that I live in a forest does not mean that I do not know how to swim. It's just that we aren't usually swimming often for fu-"

"Whatever, if you can swim, then you'll be fine!" exclaimed Elladan. "Come on, the creek shouldn't be too far away from here. Maybe less than five minutes?"

Legolas shrugged and followed them on. They had been peacefully sitting in the rocks near one of the waterfalls of Imladris when suddenly, Elrohir had gotten the idea of going to some creek and Elladan was excitedly grinning. Soon, he had been pulled into another of the twins' crazy ideas of a little 'adventure.' Hmph, he had plenty of that in Mirkwood, thank you very much. However, he kept himself polite and was now being dragged through the forest to whoever knows where.

For a few while they skipped over some twigs and tiny rocks above a few patches of already melting snow. And then Legolas saw the creek...which was understatement. The creek was a small river no wider than Legolas but which led to a huge pond, three times the size of a dome in Imladris (which was a lot) although it couldn't be described as a lake. Elladan and Elrohir had told him that the pond wasn't even deep, for when they had swam in it one day, the water had reached only their chests. Near that pond, there was a huge rock about five times taller than Legolas. He didn't know why but Legolas did not like that rock at all. No sir.

"We're here!" exclaimed Elladan. "So, what do you think Legolas?"

"Well, what should I think? It's a pond," he said back and they sighed.

"It's not just ANY pond, it's the best pond for diving in!" exclaimed Elrohir.

Legolas frowned at them awkwardly as they started unbuttoning their shirts. "Excuse me, but what do you mean with diving and...why are you undressing?"

Suddenly, they stopped and gaped at him. "You don't know what diving is?!"

"You know," Elladan said, "going somewhere and then diving down into the water. What do you do when you're swimming? Just swim? That's too boring!"

"Well, as I told you before, I don't swim frequently because I live in Mirkwood and it's a forest you know," Legolas told them. "So, erm...don't tell me you are actually going to undress like, er...everything you have-"

"EW, NO, THAT IS DISGUSTING!" exclaimed Elrohir. "We are keeping our underpants on but if you want to get the rest of your clothes wet or not join us at all...well, you're going to miss your first diving!"

"Come on Legolas, don't be such a party pooper elf!" prodded Elladan at Legolas' shoulder who sighed, rolling his eyes.

"FINE," said Legolas. "I will do it. But if this doesn't end well, I'll say I was forced. Besides...I think I'll keep my breeches on, thank you very much."

"As you say so!" said Elladan and Elrohir slipping out of their clothing (except their underpants) and Legolas turned the other way.

He began to unbutton the rich white silk shirt he was currently wearing and sighed, preparing his mind for the horrible sight of the twins being almost completely nude. He shuddered...what a disturbing thought.

O-O-O

"Well, damnation! He didn't take off his breeches!"

The elven girls looked at Reelia surprised, stifling their giggles so that they wouldn't be heard. Right now, they were cluttered together in one branch of a pine tree. Normal girls would have broken the branch but they were elves, so it seemed as if they were weightless.

Arwen whispered in shock and surprise, "Reelia!"

She grinned back at Arwen and shrugged, "Well, it's true. Let's admit it Arwen, he would make a better sight than your brothers."

Indeed, Arwen had seen her brothers like this a lot and she had even seen them nude for god's sake (it was a long story and she was just a baby) but now that she was older...the sight of her brothers like this made her grimace, the bile churning in her stomach.

"Do you think this is safe?" asked Vara at them. She was always one to get worried and to think in advance. Just like Arwen. "What if we get caught?"

"You are such a pessimist, we won't get caught, silly," said Tathel rolling her eyes. "Besides, we'll consider this as an excuse to see Legolas bare-chested and to get revenge on Arwen's brothers on that prank they pulled on Arwen last week. This will be very beneficial."

Vara snorted and everybody squinted through the leaves. Arwen whispered, "So what's going on? You've got the best view Reelia."

"Well, they've put their clothes in the shore," said Reelia. "Yes, and they've left their weapons there as well. Although Legolas has his knives on but he's left his bow on the shore, hidden under the dirt."

"All right, so we are only taking the clothes, right?" asked Vara.

"Yes, taking the weapons would be pointless," pointed out Reelia and then she continued staring.

Arwen could see one teensy bit of the scene and she thought that Reelia had a point. When Legolas had come, she'd thought of him as thin and slender, which was exactly how an archer should be. However...he was even more handsome bare-chested, she had to admit, as she saw how perfectly toned his muscles were. He was surprisingly fit and muscular.

"Oh! They're going to the rock to climb it!" exclaimed Tathel. "I've got a decent view now, erm...okay, I don't think they can see us! Let's start climbing down..."

The elven girls, slightly giggly, slipped down the tree and hid near the bush as the other elves were climbing the rock up to then dive from there. Arwen had a bad feeling about this prank but well...her friends had told her it was for the better, so she could only trust them.

As the boys climbed, they rushed over, making no noise and quickly shuffled through the dirt, grabbing all the clothes and quickly running away, giggling. However, the other elves who were too busy climbing the rock, didn't hear them as they ran off.

O-O-O

Elladan and Elrohir had gone to that pond for many years and climbing the rock was as easy as drinking water to them, however, they were incredibly surprise when Legolas easily climbed the rock quicker than both of them.

Legolas stood in the ridge of the rock as he waited for the twins, looking down at the pond below and then looking up at the sky. The sun shone like a huge burning jewel, deadly but beautiful. The sky was clear and some birds soared above him, tweeting in greeting. Legolas allowed the peace of Imladris soak into him.

Yet as much as he tried, the sunshine didn't truly soak into him, because in the edge of his mind, there was a darkness that reminded him in Mirkwood, constantly pouring memories into him and he sucked his breath, feeling slightly hollow as he remembered.

His glassy, light ice blue eyes looked across the forest of Imladris when suddenly, he had to scream (mostly angrily) as he fell forward and was thrown into the pond by two laughing elves who were clutching their stomachs from Legolas' expression and high-fiving each other.

O-O-O

AN: Oooh...seems like Arwen's finally learning how to prank! LOL! Karma to the twins! What do you think will happen next for Dan, Ro and Legolas? I hoped you like this humorous little chappie. I added the scene with the Mirkwood warriors because I just wanted to give you guys an idea of what they're doing while Legolas is starting to warm up to the twins. Some other fanfics I've read just make them disappear, only focusing on Legolas. Now, to answer your awesome reviews! :)

Eraman: Thank you! I'm glad it's realistic. I'm an only child, so I'm not very sure how siblings work. And indeed, Legolas is slowly warming up to the twins. :)

Black Minx 17: Man, that sucks. A test in the first week of school? Wow, seems just the ideal way to spend summer...studying! (BTW: I'm being sarcastic. LOL, nobody likes studying on summer). Anyways, I wish you luck! :D Have you memorized them all already?

Luin: Haha! Yes, you're right. Legolas is kind of an ellyth magnet, not only because he's charming but because he's well...kind of perfect. He's a ladies' man! Everybody loves him (including us)! 3 And Arwen...erm, last I remembered she was 12 or so in human years. Finally, thank you! You're always so kind! I'll try to update more quickly next time!