This ficlet was written in response to a challenge on the MC-Challenge list (yahoo group). It required a fic relating to the picture on the main page, where Legolas and Aragorn stare upwards in shock, with scantily clad elf lords being optional. It was supposed to be less than 200 words. Yeah, right.

Disclaimers: Don't own them. Not making money out of them. Don't have any worth suing me over anyway.

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MISCHIEF

By Vilya74

They were passing underneath the boughs of the big oak in the courtyard, departing on a hunting trip, when they heard muffled swearing. The yard was empty as the residents of Rivendell were still in their beds at this early hour. They looked up in surprise and then froze. Slowly Legolas' mouth dropped open and Aragorn stared in horror. Lord Elrond was tied securely to the underside of a huge branch without a stitch of clothing on. He was gagged very effectively.

"Gmp mhh hmmm" Elrond tried to growl through the cloth.

Aragorn started giggling uncontrollably, but stopped when Legolas shoved him from behind. "Show some respect, will you," he hissed at the young human. He sobered immediately, but had to turn his face away a few times as Legolas and he quickly ascended the tree to release his father.

The position was very awkward, and despite their best efforts Elrond slipped from their grasp as the last rope was cut. As he crashed down through the branches below, his breath was knocked from him, and he landed in the dust with a loud thump. He was struggling to regain his breath through the gag by the time the other two reached him again. His hands were still tied behind his back and it was a wonder that nothing had been broken in his fall.

"Father, are you all right?" Aragorn inquired while trying to remove the gag. He finally succeeded and Elrond could breath freely again, but it took a few more seconds before he could croak, "I'm fine. Just fine. No thanks to *you* two."

"Hey, now, we didn't tie you up there," Aragorn began, but Legolas interrupted: "Who did this to you, lord? Surely Elladan and Elrohir would never do such a thing."

Elrond looked away and mumbled something. "What?" Aragorn asked in complete surprise. Never in al his life had he heard Elrond speak in anything but a clear voice. His father looked up annoyed. "I said Glorfindel."

"But why?" asked Legolas, still confused.

Again Elrond looked uncomfortable "I put powdered poison ivy in his counsel robes." Aragorn and Legolas tried their best not to look at each other, knowing that they could not possibly keep a straight face then. So now they knew why the great elf had been fidgeting the whole time during the meeting the previous day.

"Ada, are you saying you actually play pranks on each other? How long has this been going on?"

"Oh, a few millennia," Elrond replied innocently.

This time Legolas and Aragorn did look at each other, and burst into laughter.

"What?" Elrond asked annoyed "You think Elladan and Elrohir got it from their *mother*?"

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