"Hey, last one to the ford loses!" Arwen called, spurring Arbor
to a run.
Her brothers and their guest followed her as fast as their horses could carry them, midst cries of "It's not fair!" Legolas edged past Elladan, who was looking at Arwen on the other side of him. Shortly thereafter, Arwen crossed the ford with Legolas close behind her. Elladan and Aragorn both glared at him.
Legolas looked at them innocently. "What did I do this time?" he asked.
Elladan gave him the Look, which set Legolas laughing. "You passed me when I wasn't looking!" he cried. "What's so funny?"
"Y-you looked so l-like your father when you said that!" Legolas sputtered through his laughter.
"Thank you!" the older elf commented, bowing. "That is a high compliment."
"No, it's not!" Legolas retorted. "I just compared you to an elf a little younger that my grandfather!"
"Oh, you--" Elladan cried as he lunged at Legolas.
Just then, Arwen stepped in between the two. "If you insist on dueling, then I choose the weapon!" she announced.
"Oh really?" Elrohir challenged.
"Yes, really," Arwen said firmly.
"Then Elrohir and I are going to join Elladan in the duel!" Aragorn announced.
"NO!" Legolas cried. "That's not fair!"
"I think it is, after all, it's OUR father you insulted!" Arwen decided, with a gleam in her eyes. "The weapon of choice is my brother's boots!"
The four belligerents just looked at each other. Elladan stooped and removed his boots. He quickly handed one to each brother as Legolas approached. The resulting fight was brief. Soon a disheveled Legolas was heading for the closest tree.
"If you climb a tree like that, the squirrel will eat your nuts!" Aragorn taunted.
"What squirrel?" Legolas called as he grabbed the closest branch and hoisted himself onto it.
"The squirrel that lives in it, of course!" Elladan replied for Aragorn.
"Oh, and what nuts do I have that he will eat?" Legolas countered, sarcasticly.
"You're nuts!" Elrohir called back, laughing.
"But I don't have any nuts!" the silvan elf objected.
"Don't you get the point?" Arwen announced quite pointedly. "He didn't say 'your nuts', he said 'you're nuts'!"
A large walnut fell on Elladan's bare foot. He yelped and hopped around holding his foot. The four on the ground could hear Legolas snickering loudly from the tree. "Even Elrond could dance better than that!" a voice called, through the leaves. Arwen picked up the fallen nut and tossed back at the tree. Legolas let out a loud yelp and fell from a low branch into the ford of Bruinen.