"Legolas, I have an idea." Aragorn was lying on his back, staring at the
pictures in the clouds and sucking on a blade of grass. It was that kind of
day. The sort of lazy summer's day when doing anything other than nothing
seems a waste of a perfect day.
"Well there's something new. You don't get those often, do you?" Legolas was propped against a tree with his eyes half-lidded. The gentle teasing was just about all the effort he was prepared to expend at the moment.
"Hmm, that's just because you are unable to spot original ideas, let alone realise when others have them."
"Hilarious, Aragorn, your wit is truly a breath of fresh air in this scholarly place."
"So do you want to hear the idea, or not?"
In hindsight Legolas thought that his thumbs should have pricked. The birds and cicadas should have fallen silent. Nature itself should have cried a warning, but no foreboding did he feel, and no omen came to him to caution against the counsel of the ranger.
"I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway." A small pebble hit him in the ribs, but then Aragorn began to speak: "It has been weeks since we found Ada in the tree. I've been keeping a close eye on both him and Glorfindel, and I know you have been doing the same. I have seen no indication of retribution by Lord Elrond, have you?"
"No, but I'm sure he is just biding his time. Glorfindel has become very jumpy, did you notice?" asked Legolas.
"You mean like when you accidentally dropped that teacup behind him? Father is pretty upset about that cup, by the way," grinned Aragorn.
Legolas looked smug, rather than repentant: "It was worth it though, was it not? I don't think I have seen anyone jump that high since the time Elladan dropped that housesnake down the back of you tunic."
"You would also have jumped around if you had had nightmares about a huge killer snake not hours before," Aragorn grumbled. He had still not forgiven his brother for that particular prank. It would not have been half as bad if it was not for the fact that Arwen just happened to walk in on the scene. He would have felt less embarrassed if he knew that Arwen's appearance had been no accident. Nor was the fact that she wore a brooch bearing a snake motif for the next few days, the sight of which caused Aragorn to blush and stutter whenever he tried to speak to the beautiful Elf. Legolas almost took pity on him, and would have told his friend that the whole thing had been Arwen's idea, if she had not also decided that the joke had gone on long enough, and stopped wearing the brooch.
"Anyway, the point is that I think we should stir things up a little," Aragorn continued his interrupted speech.
"How?"
"By playing a prank on Glorfindel in such a way that we will not be suspected."
"You mean frame your father?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. We will leave the conclusions to Glorfindel. That way they can't say we tried to place the blame on Father. It's not our fault if he has a suspicious mind."
Legolas sat up straighter as the idea began to appeal to him. Once the ball was set in motion all they would have to do was watch it passing between the players. It could certainly prove interesting.
"So, what do you have in mind?"
"Well there's something new. You don't get those often, do you?" Legolas was propped against a tree with his eyes half-lidded. The gentle teasing was just about all the effort he was prepared to expend at the moment.
"Hmm, that's just because you are unable to spot original ideas, let alone realise when others have them."
"Hilarious, Aragorn, your wit is truly a breath of fresh air in this scholarly place."
"So do you want to hear the idea, or not?"
In hindsight Legolas thought that his thumbs should have pricked. The birds and cicadas should have fallen silent. Nature itself should have cried a warning, but no foreboding did he feel, and no omen came to him to caution against the counsel of the ranger.
"I'm sure you're going to tell me anyway." A small pebble hit him in the ribs, but then Aragorn began to speak: "It has been weeks since we found Ada in the tree. I've been keeping a close eye on both him and Glorfindel, and I know you have been doing the same. I have seen no indication of retribution by Lord Elrond, have you?"
"No, but I'm sure he is just biding his time. Glorfindel has become very jumpy, did you notice?" asked Legolas.
"You mean like when you accidentally dropped that teacup behind him? Father is pretty upset about that cup, by the way," grinned Aragorn.
Legolas looked smug, rather than repentant: "It was worth it though, was it not? I don't think I have seen anyone jump that high since the time Elladan dropped that housesnake down the back of you tunic."
"You would also have jumped around if you had had nightmares about a huge killer snake not hours before," Aragorn grumbled. He had still not forgiven his brother for that particular prank. It would not have been half as bad if it was not for the fact that Arwen just happened to walk in on the scene. He would have felt less embarrassed if he knew that Arwen's appearance had been no accident. Nor was the fact that she wore a brooch bearing a snake motif for the next few days, the sight of which caused Aragorn to blush and stutter whenever he tried to speak to the beautiful Elf. Legolas almost took pity on him, and would have told his friend that the whole thing had been Arwen's idea, if she had not also decided that the joke had gone on long enough, and stopped wearing the brooch.
"Anyway, the point is that I think we should stir things up a little," Aragorn continued his interrupted speech.
"How?"
"By playing a prank on Glorfindel in such a way that we will not be suspected."
"You mean frame your father?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. We will leave the conclusions to Glorfindel. That way they can't say we tried to place the blame on Father. It's not our fault if he has a suspicious mind."
Legolas sat up straighter as the idea began to appeal to him. Once the ball was set in motion all they would have to do was watch it passing between the players. It could certainly prove interesting.
"So, what do you have in mind?"