Deana You can't eat spicy food either? Too bad. I love spicy food! The spicier the better! That's why I'm a little off-centered in the head. He! He!

AbbiCat14 Hey, nice to see you're back!

Beginning-end-314 : Oh, poor you. I know how it feels to be forced to eat something you don't like. Once, a friend made me eat his cooking. Believe me, that guy can't cook!

Leralonde Yes, mate! I'm writing this story, so of course terrible things will happen to Leggy. LOL!

BitterLee I've looked into the matter and I found that the fic is based on this manyan series. The author has indeed gained my permission to use my OC and some plots. I now recall keeping the e-mails somewhere. I really appreciate your concern and being very observant, mellon. Thank you. Don't hesitate to tell me of any more 'findings'.

Acacia59601 The gang mob by prepubescent teen girls? Ha! Ha! I just have the picture in mind! The four hot elves will be naked even before the mob ends!

Mellaithwen What an appropriate song. Sing it again!

Pavement The page don't fully reveal your address. I only got pavementc, but what's the rest? Is it at Yahoo or AOL or Hotmail?

Astalder27 That was the original plan. I think that will be enough, considering what Leggy is going to face afterwards.

Nessa Thranduiliel You got that right!

LegolasLover2003 Have I told you before that Leggy can be quite dense? Yep. That he is.

Kel The boys ages are equivalent to human's twenty and thirty years old.

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Legolas thought he was going to die.

Die of humiliation, that was, if not from dehydration first.

Ever since they had left the town that evening, his innards had been churning like crazy. It was the worst indigestion he ever had in his entire life. His mouth and gullet had stopped burning, thank the Valar, but his upset stomach made it impossible for them to ride back to Mirkwood that very night because Legolas had to stop repeatedly to attend to some 'urgent needs'.

So—after Legolas had leapt off his mount and dashed to seek privacy behind some bushes for the third time in a row—Keldarion suggested they made camp in the woods, choosing a spot under a large maple tree that was not far from a creek. He and the twins wisely kept their grins in check, making no comment on Legolas' predicament.

Keldarion felt slightly guilty at seeing his brother so miserable, but he said nothing lest he got his head chewed off. He had even offered to accompany Legolas to visit the stream just now but his brother had sent him a deadly glare that could have felled an orc. So Keldarion let him go, a little uncomfortable to let Legolas tend to his 'business' alone after the entire incident with Shakmi earlier in the day. Who knew what the medicine man would do to get his revenge? The town was already several leagues behind them and there was no sign of anyone following, but Keldarion believed it wouldn't hurt to be on full alert, just in case.

"Ai. Me and my blasted pride," Legolas growled under his breath as he refastened the ties of his leggings.

Clutching at his still sore tummy, he then climbed up the bank of the creek and headed for the pile of clothes he had dumped in a heap on the ground next to his boots. He had been sweating earlier, his body enveloped by such an unnatural heat so that he had to wash his head and torso to cool himself. The indigestion had wreaked havoc with his entire system and he started to feel slightly dizzy from it.

He had known he didn't need to finish off that blasted mushroom soup. He only needed to admit defeat, making an end to the stupid prank there and then. All he would have suffered were a scalding mouth and a bruised ego. But, no. He had been foolish enough to choose his pride over his very life!

"Serves me right!" he muttered to himself as he picked up his tunic, starting to get dressed.

But his stomach chose that moment to churn once more in warning.

"Blast it!" Legolas swore, slamming his shirt into the dirt in frustration. "Enough already!"

With clenching fists and eyes closed, he bit his lip as he endured the discomfort, standing perfectly still as he willed for the ache to fade quickly away. So intent he was in this effort he was unaware of several figures in the woods who were carefully watching his every move.

Back at the camp, Keldarion was tending to the fire as the twins arranged some bracken under their cloaks to make beds. Sending another glance towards the creek, the prince wondered out loud, "Do you think he is fine out there?"

"Don't worry, Kel," Elrohir responded with a smile, coming to sit next to his friend. "Legolas can take care of his 'business' by himself. He doesn't need anyone to hold his hand while he is doing 'it'."

Keldarion scowled. "Not that, you dolt! That's not what I mean!"

Elladan reached down and smacked the back of his twin's head, much to Elrohir's annoyance. "He knows what you meant, Kel. Ro is just acting his stupid self, that's all."

Elrohir rubbed the back of his head as he glared at his twin. "I'm not stupid, stupid."

Ignoring his brother, Elladan sat down on Keldarion's other side. With a sigh, he draped one arm across the prince's shoulder. "Don't fret too much, Kel. Legolas is fine, I believe. Growling and moping like a wounded bear, but he is fine. The only big trouble he is having right now is keeping his bowels intact."

Turning his head, Keldarion gave Elladan a rueful smile. "Poor Legolas. I think we have been too cruel on him with that soup."

"You are right," Elrohir said. "But he didn't need to finish the entire soup in the first place. And don't forget what he did to us. Remember the snakes? And the leeches?"

Keldarion shuddered in disgust. "Please. Don't mention the leeches. I can still feel them crawling up my thighs!"

He rubbed his arms, feeling the goose bumps rising there. "Valar. I hate leeches! Blast Legolas for his ingenuity. I could have fed those bloodsucking maggots to his face if I could even stand touching them!"

The twins chuckled as they remembered the way Keldarion had screamed the night before, swinging and stabbing and whacking his sword at his bed to kill the little bloodsuckers. It had been a bloody mess—with the leeches the only casualties, thankfully. Keldarion had not appeared unscathed because the creatures managed to draw a bit of blood from tiny punctured wounds all over his legs, yet it was minor injuries, nothing serious. Still, it was the indignity of totally losing his composure and senses that gave Keldarion the determination to get even with his brother.

But now, he began to have second thoughts.

"Elbereth! What's taking him so long? Has he fallen into the water and drowned or something?" Keldarion grumbled, glancing towards the direction of the creek again.

The small stream was about hundred yards away, hidden from their view by the trees and thick bushes. They could hear the sound of water flowing, followed occasionally by small splashes. Otherwise, all was quiet. Legolas had stopped muttering and cursing for quite some time, and that did not bode well with Keldarion.

"I'm going to check on him," the prince finally announced, jumping to his feet. The twins also stood and fell in step on each side of him.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Elrohir asked, matching his strides with the prince's. "Legolas is bound to kill us if we see him…well…you know."

"There's nothing of him I haven't seen yet," Keldarion responded, pushing a low tree branch out of his face. "I changed his diapers when he was a baby, remember? Anyway he has nothing that we don't have. So, by the Valar, if I find him well and sound and he is deliberately driving us crazy with worry, I swear I'll kick his silly butt and push his ugly face into the mud!"

But to their great shock and dismay, Legolas was not where he was supposed to be. His boots, tunic and cloak were there. And so were his vambraces and his belt, as well as the small dagger he always carried along with him. But Legolas was nowhere to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Elladan frantically looked around, frowning slightly.

"Do you think he is hiding?" Elrohir asked next. "Maybe he is laughing at us right now, from somewhere up in the trees."

"I don't think so." Keldarion had walked a little further downstream, following his brother's footprints. He suddenly froze and instantly turned pale.

"Ai Elbereth!"

The twins hurried to his sides, and the three of them stared at the sign of scuffles clearly visible on the ground. There were several foreign boot prints—humans' most likely. And where the boot prints started was the point where Legolas' foot prints disappeared altogether. They also saw a rock the size of a child's fist, and it looked totally out of place lying there on the grass-covered bank.

And there, caught in some low brambles, was the familiar looking leather strip that Legolas used to tie his braid. It might have come loose in the fray, which told them that Legolas had given quite a fight before he was taken.

But why didn't we hear anything?

Keldarion crouched down and picked up the leather band. He clenched the strip in his fist, his fear mixing with his anger.

"Valar, no," he muttered, his blue eyes glinting dangerously. "It's happening again."

TBC…