The next morning, Legolas stood in the sunlight beneath the trees and strung his bow. As he pulled an arrow from his quiver, Glorfindel led Asfaloth from the stable.
"Ready, Elf?" Gimli asked. "Make sure not to hit anyone with that arrow."
Ignoring the dwarf, Legolas notched the arrow to the bow, pointed it skyward and fired it. As soon as the arrow left the bow with a twang, Glorfindel leaped astride Asfaloth and streaked into the forest.
When the white stallion had disappeared, Frodo and the other Hobbits, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli started off down the path he had taken, leaving Haldir alone. A minute after they had been lost in the foliage, Forngor streaked down from the treetops in the form of a little bird, cackling.
"You are no archer." he said shortly, fluttering to a branch and peering at the Elf with beady eyes.
"I am not." Haldir agreed. "At least not the one that shot that arrow."
"At least we agree." Forngor replied. "That arrow was shot by one they call Legolas, a Mirkwood Elf, if my eyes do not deceive me."
"They do not." Haldir agreed again, his voice level and almost-cordial.
Forngor clacked his beak insolently. "And who might you be, sir Elf? Not a Mirkwood Elf, that is for sure."
Haldir's voice became colder. "I am a soldier of the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien."
"Do not tell me the Wood-Elves are too afraid to defend their own home."
"They have been fighting the Dark for longer than you have been living. A trivial attack from one such as you would present little problem."
"Then why do you come before me?" Forngor cheeped.
"A challenge."
Forngor chortled in his bird form, sounding like a lion imitating a bird's song. "A single Elf challenges me. Did Legolas not tell you of his battle with me? He fell from a troll as a fruit from a tree."
"Then you are more than a match for me." Haldir said, sarcasm in his voice. The shape-shifter seemed not to notice the sarcasm and laughed.
"Of course. But if you wish, we shall see what your skills are."
Haldir looked into the forest. "I hear that you can be faster than an Elf in the forest. Prove to me that you can."
Forngor hopped to the ground and became a wolf. "Easily. When I pass you, the true battle will begin."
Haldir agreed, then ran down the forest path. Both the Elf and the shape-shifter were almost silent runners, but the Elf had the lead. With the nimbleness and light-footedness of his people, he easily held the shape-shifter's wolf at bay. The wolf was stockier, but able to leap over fallen trees and vines or whatever lay in its path. Suddenly, the wolf stumbled in a flurry of leaves. An unseen axe-handle had thrust up from the undergrowth to strike the wolf across the foreleg and upset his balance.
When Forngor stood up, Haldir was nowhere to be seen. The wolf sniffed the air, searching for the Elf, but his nose brought him an unexpected scent.
"A Dwarf?" Forngor asked softly. "But where?"
An axe-blade thudded to the ground before his nose. Forngor looked up to see Gimli standing in front of him, looking out of place in the woods.
"Hello again, Forngor."
Like before, Forngor snarled at the dwarf. He made as if to lunge at Gimli, but backed off bristling as the dwarf lifted his axe threateningly.
"Leave me be," Forngor growled. "I am in contest with an Elf."
"No longer," Gimli replied. "Your contest is with me now."
Before Forngor could reply, he sliced forward with his axe and opened a cut on the wolf's side as Forngor tried to twist away. Wounded, the shape-shifter became a songbird again and started to fly up, out of the range of Gimli's axe, but the hard end of a wooden staff sent him spinning.