Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and all its characters, races, and creatures, as well as our beloved Middle Earth, belongs to JRR Tolkien.

The teasing and practical jokes, in which the twins and Legolas had begun to indulge themselves, were beginning to wear me down. Even though Arwen had warned me of the pranks that would be played in order to embarrass or frustrate me, I was still finding myself falling prey to those wicked Elves' imaginations. Anything they could think up that may bother me, they visited upon me mercilessly.

We went through the nudity antics the very first night after the twins had joined us. I did admirably on that test. I had been subject to this type of 'humor' many times by my heartless brothers as I was growing up. They delighted in hearing me scream when they would disrobe to bathe. Neither did they respect my privacy, and many were the times that I was in tears because they had taken my clothes while I was in the tub. I was just beginning to 'blossom' into womanhood, so I was naturally very self-conscious.

None of these shenanigans took place while my mother was living. My brothers knew she would skin them alive were they to show themselves in that condition in her presence, or mine, for that matter. After being traumatized by this many times, and going to my father in tears to complain, he gave me some sage advice. 'Maeren,' he would say, 'the more you scream and cry, the more they will torment you. If you act as if you are not troubled, they will cease nettling you. If you do not react, you take all their fun away.' It took several more episodes before I was able to ignore them when they tried to have their fun at my expense. Eventually, I mastered myself and was victorious. They ceased to bother me with their nudity. They simply found other ways to harass me.

I was stoic when first Elrohir, followed by Elladan, stripped down to nothing to indulge themselves in a bath in the nearby stream. At first I wasn't sure if they had evil intent, but a few furtive glances from beneath my nearly closed lashes, proved that devilry was in the making. I had brought a book of poetry with me to read during quiet times during the journey, so I simply picked up my book and buried my nose in it. Gimli watched their antics, while he enjoyed a smoke after our evening meal. After the twins had gone to bathe, he looked at me, shaking his head. He knew as well as I did, that they were merely being facetious. Legolas waited until I had put the book down to fetch my water skin, and then he too, disrobed to follow the twins down to the stream. This time, I raked his naked form from top to bottom with my gaze, and then smiled, winking at him in a most beguiling way. If he thought me a whore, I may as well act as one while he was around. I believe I won this little skirmish in the ongoing war of pranks. He looked disconcerted by my gaze. I probably just sealed my fate as far as him thinking me a tramp, but either way, it mattered not. I don't think he would ever like me in any case.

They had lots of fun sneaking up on me. I took this in stride also, but I was startled almost every time they pulled this prank. However, I didn't rise to their baiting, I simply smiled and thought to myself about how much satisfaction I would take in having my revenge.

This morning I decided enough was enough. I was near a tree under which I had placed my valise and other belongings for the night, preparing to pack up for the day's journey. I was bending at the waist, rummaging through my things, when Elladan suddenly spoke to me and poked me in the ribs, just to make sure he had truly surprised me—and he had. The bag I was searching through was, unfortunately, under a low-hanging branch, and when Elladan scared me, I suddenly lifted up, and banged the back of my head on the limb. I did see stars, but decided to play this my way. I dropped like a rock and lay still. In a heartbeat, the Elf was down on the ground next to me smoothing my hair back from my forehead with one hand, and cradling my bruised noggin in the other. I stayed like that for a few minutes, all the while, Elladan was stroking my forehead and calling my name softly. The others had begun to gather around us as well. I couldn't hold out for long and I began to smile. I winked open first one eye, and then the other, then burst out laughing. The expression of utter panic on Elladan's face was comical. I thought at first he was going to drop my head onto the ground, but he found the humor in my retaliation. He smiled and then started laughing. "That was good, lady," he said. "Very good." I knew I had won at least one little battle in our ongoing war.

We finished breaking camp and began the day's ride. It was just before the sun was directly overhead, when Elladan called a halt. It was always one of the Elves who directed us on our journey. I didn't sense any temper from Gimli over his not being consulted about things, so I surmised he was used to this arrangement. He didn't say and I didn't ask.

A meal of dried meats and some fruit was set out, and we sat at various places within easy proximity of each other. I tended to migrate to the outskirts of the party. I know not when this began—probably from the very first day. Gimli had traveled in Legolas' company many times apparently and they enjoyed an easy camaraderie. A person could tell they were good friends. They jested with one another and carried on small verbal skirmishes. Legolas was evidently great friends with Elrohir and Elladan, and he tended to gravitate toward them when we stopped. I felt as if I was intruding, especially with Legolas. After our little spat, and my apology, as well as what I witnessed at the pond a few days ago, we agreed to disagree. He no longer engaged in petty insults or peevish acts to try to needle me. Oh he did team up with the twins in their ongoing pranks, but it wasn't the mean spirited things he was doing before. I really do not know if his opinion of me had changed at all, but there was nothing I could do for that.

I was sitting idly, eating an apple and reading my book, when I nodded at Elladan who had seated himself beside me. He had announced his approach this time, by whistling a merry tune as he came near me. I smiled to myself remembering my hard won victory. My hand was massaging the knot on the back of my head—my winner's trophy, as it were.

"Would you like a bit of help with that?" he asked.

I looked at the apple I was eating, then glanced at my book. I was puzzled and frowned. "Help with what?" I asked skeptically.

He laughed. "Only with the bump on your head—which I caused—and which I am sorry for causing," he said.

"It is really nothing," I replied. "It only hurts a little. No harm done."

"Even still," he said, "I am responsible and I would feel better if you would allow me to help you."

"What could you do to help?" I asked. "There's really no remedy for a bruise, except a poultice of some kind, and I would just as soon not have you in my hair, if you don't mind," I said.

He laughed again, and answered, "I have not the potent gifts of my father, but I have some healing ability. I could make the swelling lessen and the pain dull, if you would allow me to."

I was not going to turn down a chance to see a bit of Elven magic performed, even if it was on me, but I was wary of him still. "How do I know you will not visit some harm upon me—play another prank at my expense?" I asked. "How do I know you are not just saying this to see if I will fall for another falsehood?"

"Would I do that?" he asked in mock innocence. "I am offended that you would think such a thing."

"Right," I said, returning my attention back to my book. "I think I shall take my chances with the bruise. Thanks anyway."

"I promise I will not hurt you, embarrass you, or do anything else you may deem deceitful," he said solemnly. "You have my word of honor."

"All right, Elladan," I said. "But if this is some sort of jest, I promise you I will not be bested. You will definitely rue the revenge I will seek."

"There will be no need for revenge," he promised, "I will be on my best behavior. And when I have finished, the ease of your pain will be proof that I did not mislead you."

"All right," I said. "Do your worst—I mean your best."

Elladan stood, then lowered himself back to the ground, sitting behind me. He placed his hands on either side of my head. He was very gentle, but I still had a bad feeling that he was merely toying with me. I sat there, waiting for I know not what, when I suddenly felt a warmth seeping from his hands, crawling slowly through my scalp. At first it itched, a tingling sort of feeling. But after mere seconds, the warmth blossomed, seeming to permeate my mind, bringing peace and tranquility into my soul. I closed my eyes, and it seemed as if I lost consciousness. I suddenly heard Elladan call my name softly. I was lying on the grass, looking up at the sky, feeling the sun on my face and loving life in general, and Elladan in particular. He was good at this, whatever this was!

I started to sit up, but his hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Just lie there for a few more minutes," he advised. "It will work better and the effects will be greater the longer you are relaxed after the treatment."

So I stayed prone, lying there quietly in the grass, basking in the sunlight as a cat may do, sitting on a windowsill in someone's home. It felt so good, this peace and tranquility. I had been through so much stress for the past few weeks, I had despaired that I may ever feel peaceful again. I finally opened my eyes, to look up into the smiling face of Elladan.

"Thank you Elladan," I said dreamily. "I know not what you did, but it was certainly what this healer would have ordered."

"I would accept your thanks, Maeren," he said, "but I did naught. It was Elladan who eased your pain, not I." Elrohir winked at me, stood and offered me a hand up. I squinted at him, trying to frown, but failed, and took his proffered hand.

The time for retaliation was drawing close. Very close.

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I was indeed very thankful for the 'treatment' which Elladan had bestowed on me, but I was not sure it was payment enough for all the bother he and the other Elves continued to inflict on me throughout the remainder of the day. Oh, there was nothing major done to me, just small things, like moving my water skin when I wasn't looking, and placing it somewhere it wouldn't ordinarily be. Things of that nature. Childish things that wore on one's nerves after a day in the saddle. So after we'd had our evening meal and were beginning to settle in for the night, they finally pushed me too far.

I had gone to pay my final respects to nature for the night and when I returned, I could find my bedroll nowhere. I knew immediately it had been helped in its escape by an Elf or three. Since I had no mind to spend any time searching for it at all, I decided it was time for my fine Elven friends to meet my cousin.

I strode to the saddle that had been on my horse and removed Jonas from the horn. I didn't trudge or stomp, I just walked as I normally would. I brought Jonas over, still covered in his pillowslip shroud, and sat down by a large, flat rock, which was conveniently on the skirt of our camp. I thanked Eru for placing an altar here for my use. It would enhance the effect I hoped to achieve on the Elves of our party.

I decided to do it up right, so I pulled a shawl out of my valise that I had tucked inside of it before I left Minas Tirith. Coincidentally, the shawl was black and fringed, and quite adequate in adding a bit of the macabre to my scene. If only I had brought some candles to add to the aura of magic I wished to channel. Oh well, no matter. I began dusting at the dirt surrounding my 'altar', and, glancing out of the corner of my eye, made sure I was being observed by at least one Elf at our campsite. I was triply blessed - there were three Elves observing my actions. From the looks of things, they were trying very hard to keep me from seeing that they were watching me. If only I had thought to bring some candles. That would send them over the edge, if this little act had any effect on them at all. Then I remembered, I had brought some. They were in the bag I had brought, along with my valise. There were candles, some herbs, a sharp knife, needle and thread—all the things I should need if my healing services were called for during this journey. Oh, this was going to be fun. Bless you, Arwen.

I rose and retrieved my bag from the pile of gear that had been stowed on the packhorse. Returning to my makeshift altar, I stopped a few feet away and folded my arms over my chest. I closed my eyes and chanted a few Rohirric curses that came to mind. That was certainly fitting for my little act, was it not? I ceased chanting, did a quarter-bow from the waist and approached the altar. I rummaged through my bag and retrieved the candles and a small packet of Dog Rose hips, that had been seeded and pulverized into a powder. I tucked the envelope into the pocket of my tunic and walked to the fire with the tapers. Kneeling on one knee, I placed the wick of one candle into the flame—continuing my Rohirric verse—until the wick caught, then I stood once more. Holding my hand around the flame to keep the candle lit, I walked back to the boulder I was decorating. I ran the nether end of the unlit candle through the flame of the other, then placed it on the rock, adhering it to the surface with its melted wax. I lit it, then ran the end of the candle I was still holding over the flame of the other, then stuck it to the altar as well.

It was now time for Jonas to make his debut in this little charade of mine. I knelt before the altar, sitting back on my heels. I reverently lifted Jonas in his pillowslip shroud and closed my eyes, again murmuring every Rohirric curse word that I knew. My voice grew louder, and as I slipped the shroud from Jonas, I reverently draped the shawl over him, closed my eyes, and softly chanted in Rohirric, the words to a childhood song I knew. I placed the veiled Jonas upon the altar between the candles. Jonas truly looked evil peeking through the sheerness of the shawl.

I forced myself not to break into peals of laughter. I distinctly heard murmuring from across the campsite. Gimli was the only one who was not surprised. Earlier, when the Elves had been out hunting for our supper, I had told him I was going to perform a short play sometime soon. I assured him to not believe a thing he was going to see me do. I was simply getting revenge on the Elves we were traveling with. From the look on his face when I told him, I am not sure if he was looking forward to it or not. I think he was growing tired of all our little games. Poor Gimli. A decent mature Dwarf, in with a slew of children and their shenanigans. However, he did promise to play along, and above all, would not give me away.

I could hear the Elves as they spoke quietly to each other, questioning my actions.

"What is she doing?" Elladan asked quietly.

"Whatever it is, it looks evil," was Elrohir's reply.

"I am not surprised by anything she might do," was what Legolas added.

I turned my head toward the Elves, and said, "If you do not mind, I am performing a ritual here and if you are not quiet, it will all be for naught."

This piqued Elrohir's curiosity. I had been observing the twins these past few days, trying to find various ways to tell them apart. They may have looked identical, but their personalities were very different. Elladan was the more reserved of the two, but he was reserved in a sneaky sort of way. He wasn't above pulling pranks on me, that's for sure. Elrohir was curious and that was something to which I could really relate. I could see the inquisitiveness behind his eyes, when he wasn't sure about something and wanted to know all of its secrets. Of course knowing these personality traits was not helpful, unless they were speaking. I still had a way to go as far as determining which twin was which in a more practical manner.

I turned my attention back to my altar, closed my eyes, and began chanting in Rohirric once again. I retrieved the envelope of powdered Dog Rose Hips from my pocket and began sprinkling it over Jonas. As I sprinkled and chanted, I spoke the names of each of the Elves intermittently throughout my chanting. This got them murmuring even more.

Elrohir could stay his curiosity not one minute more and finally approached me and my altar. I was watching from the corner of my eye, so just before he reached me, I thrust out my hand, palm first, and without looking at him said in a perilously quiet voice, "Come no closer, lest you be caught in the magic." I wanted to squeal with laughter when Elrohir dropped in his tracks, landing cross-legged, sitting on the ground a few feet away from me. I do not know what kept my face straight. I was hysterical inside. I was so close to ruining my prank that it just wasn't funny.

As my victim sat there enthralled by what I was doing, I began chanting the words to a Rohirric lullaby that mothers often sing to their children to quiet them for sleep at night. I continued in this vein for a few minutes more, then slowly tapered my voice to first a whisper, then I stopped speaking completely. I bowed my head momentarily, trying to gain control over my hilarity, then rose to my knees. I leaned over the altar and lifted Jonas from where he rested, and held him aloft for a few seconds, slowly divesting him of his veil. I then retrieved his pillowslip and I enshrouded my cousin once more. As soon as I had reverently laid him aside, I blew out both candles and removed them from the altar. I gathered the shawl, folded it, and then returned it and the candles to my bags.

Since I had no bedroll to retreat to, I had nowhere else to go than to the fire, so I sat beside Gimli. As soon as I sat, he looked at me warily and scooted over a foot or two. I tried not to laugh.

"Gimli," I said, trying not to sound too offended, "you have naught to fear. You heard not your name mentioned in the rite did you?"

A look of relief overtook his face. He was good at this. He scooted back to sit beside me once again.

"Come to think of it, lass," he said with a nod, "I did not hear myself mentioned by name. I only heard Elvish names mentioned, I believe."

"That is right, Gimli," I replied. "You have naught to fear."

"Maeren," Gimli said with curiosity, "if I may ask, and not be considered rude, where did you learn such a—thing?"

In a voice one would use to tell a frightening story to wayward children, I said, "Once there came to Rohan a troupe of traveling Haradrim, and with them, they had a soothsayer. My brothers had been harassing me mercilessly for the entire day the troupe was present in Edoras, and the soothsayer took notice when my youngest brother—you know the one I told you about, Small Saelden—pushed me down and I skinned my knee. As I sat there crying, the soothsayer took pity on me. He helped me up, tended to my hurt, and taught me the rite you just saw me perform. He even gave me the idol that I had upon the altar there."

"And is that how Small Saelden got his name?" Gimli wanted to know.

"Yes, it actually is," I replied. "When the soothsayer taught me how to do the rite, he demonstrated it by performing it on my youngest brother. I knew not that a person could shrink once they grew to a certain height. My how the other boys teased him."

"So," Gimli said, "does the idol have special powers by itself, or only if you speak the words of the rite?"

"That, my friend," I said confidentially, "is a mystery to me. I really know not. But I am careful with it. I never let it out of my sight. I would sincerely hate for something evil to befall someone accidentally."

"And the powder you were sprinkling," he said, "what exactly was that, now?"

"That was Witch's Brier," I replied. And that was probably the only thing in this entire farce that had even a grain of truth to it. Along with Dog Rose Hips, Witch's Brier was another common name for the herb.

"Interesting," he said. "All right. Only one more question."

"Yes, Gimli?" I asked with innocence.

"Just how long are we going to continue this charade? Do you think we have punished the Elves enough yet? Do you suppose they will cease needling you night and day now?"

"I do not know, Gimli," I said, "but I certainly am tired, and would definitely appreciate having my bedroll down by the warm fire, all fluffed and cozy. Do you think that would be too much to ask?"

"Personally, Maeren," Gimli replied, "I think you do not ask enough of the Elves after all they have been doing to torment you, but if you believe justice has been done, then so be it."

"All right, all right," Elladan said with a grin. "We get it." He approached the fire with my bedroll, made as if to throw it in, but instead set it down in front of the blaze and spread it out, plumping it here and there, dusting it off as he rid it of wrinkles. Elrohir brought my water skin over, knelt on one knee, and proffered it to me with a flourish. Legolas pursed his lips, then nudged Elladan out of the way. He felt around over one end of the bedroll, and discovered what he was looking for. He delved his hand between the blankets and pulled out a small bundle of cloth. He no sooner got it clear of the blanket than he dropped it with a curse, slinging it aside, and putting an apparently injured finger into his mouth.

"Thorns—for the rose," he said devilishly.

And I thought the prank had gone on long enough. Well I was wrong. Very wrong.

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