Tbiris The catch? Err…you'll see afterwards. Maybe.

Jedi Gollum : To tell you the truth, sometimes I hate reading my own stories! I mean, where the heck did I get such preposterous plotlines?

Leralonde Be careful of what you wish for. I have three very active little boys as nephews. And trust me, they are complete terrors!

Cierah All I can say is, good luck with your own little boy. Who says being a mother—or an aunt—is an easy job? Just ask me. He he he.

Sailor Elf : thank you for the dedication to my back, my front, my side and…oops. Better stop here before I go to dangerous territory. Ha ha ha!

Jubisaurus I'm glad that I'm back too!

Seylin Yes, dear. It's especially for you. (Hug you back!)

KeluinLossehilin Sweet? Legolas is sweet? Hmm. I'll turn him sour then.

Fire Breathing Ferret : Cuddly but a danger to your health. Hey, I like that, mate!

Elemmr You must know what happen even though you're not sure that you want to. So, here it is!

LegolasLover2003 ROTFL! You make me laugh just knowing how you laughed! Thank god for the pillow!

Sila ninque Yep. I'm updating as fast as I can. Keep your fingers crossed.

Legosgurl I'm sorry to hear that you got the flu, but three weeks off from work? Man! Aren't you lucky or what? Oh, and poor Fluffy.

Rutu I thought to make this a one-shot at first. But then the words just keep streaming in after the plot-bunnies returned from Siberia. This story won't be too long, by the way. It would take 3 to 4 chapters only.

Nessa Thranduiliel Now you've become my hero too.

Thank you so much for enjoying the elflings' antics in the previous chapter. I can still hear some of you laughing. LOL!

Now, on to the next chapter.

WARNING : Two stupid elflings in action! And beware of the even more stupid cliffie ahead!

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"Legolas? What are you looking at?"

The young prince of Mirkwood released a heavy sigh as he turned around, his eyes rolling. "Arwen, will you please stop following me?"

Her eyes huge and filled with curiosity, the daughter of Elrond stared back at him without blinking. "Why?"

"I don't like it."

"Why not?"

"Because you're a girl."

Arwen cocked her head to one side, not insulted in the least. "Why is that a problem?"

Legolas sighed again, louder this time. "Because a girl supposedly does not do what I'm going to do next."

"Oh." She still looked confused. "What are you going to do next?"

"I'm not going to tell you." He folded his arms across his chest, and gave her the most vicious glare he could muster. But Arwen was just as stubborn.

"Come on, Legolas! Tell me!" she urged as she excitedly shook his arms.

"No way!" he responded with a grimace. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you tell me what you are about to do. You had better tell me now or I'll…uh…I'll kiss you!" Arwen warned, grinning widely as she crowded closer.

Alarmed, Legolas hastily took a step back. "Kiss me? Ughhh! That's disgusting!"

To his surprise, Arwen's face instantly crumbled. Her lips started to tremble as tears filled her large blue eyes. Legolas was quick to apologize. "Forgive me, Arwen. I didn't mean to say that you're disgusting and all that. I was just…err…well, I…"

The young prince fidgeted in discomfort when he saw the tears run down Arwen's smooth cheeks. He put an arm around her slim shoulders and awkwardly cajoled her to stop crying. "There, there. Don't cry anymore. I'll let you kiss me but not now, all right? I have better things to do."

"And what's that?" she asked through her bout of hiccups.

"See that buggy over there?" He pointed at the said contraption that stood in the middle of the backyard square. It had been pulled by a large brown mare, which now waited patiently as three servants were busy removing the sacks of flour and fruits from behind the cart into the palace kitchen—the important ingredients for the coming feast. The servants, though, were not aware that the two elflings were watching them from behind a clump of rhododendron bushes a hundred yards away.

Arwen nodded, sniffling.

"I want to drive that buggy," Legolas proudly stated.

Almost at once, Arwen ceased crying. Her tears disappeared and she smiled ear to ear, causing Legolas to wonder if she had been faking her distress after all.

"Cool!" she cried out, clapping her hands gleefully. "So do I!"

"Shhh!" Legolas quickly covered her mouth with one hand. "Not so loud. And what do you mean, so do you?"

Arwen pushed his hand away. She was practically jumping up and down with joy. "I want to drive that buggy too! May I? May I, Legolas?"

"Absolutely not!" Legolas stood with his arms akimbo, glaring heatedly. "It's dangerous. You don't know how to handle a buggy."

"And you do?"

"Yes, I do! I have driven that thing twice before."

Without anyone's knowledge, of course, he added in his mind. If the king only knew what his youngest son had done, no buggy or cart or carriage would be allowed on the palace ground. Ever.

"Can you teach me, Legolas?" Arwen leaned against him in her enthusiasm. "Please?"

It was hard for Legolas to refuse her, especially when she kept staring at him with those large soulful eyes, like a puppy begging for a treat. He squirmed as Arwen tightened her embrace.

"Oh, all right!" he finally relented, throwing his hands in the air. "But you must do everything I say. Got it?"

Arwen squealed with joy, causing Legolas to hastily grab her and pull her down when one of the servants turned around at the noise.

"Hush, will you?" Legolas hissed. "We can't let them know we are here or we will be sent back to our rooms!"

"All right, all right. Sorry," Arwen whispered back. "So, what's the plan?"

"The first plan is to stay quiet," he replied, eyeing the buggy through the gap in the bushes. "And then, when the servants go inside for refreshments after they finish unloading, I'll run and jump onto the buggy and drive it for a couple of rounds around the square. I'll put it back in the same spot before the servants come back out to stable the mare, so nobody will know."

"How many times did you say you've done this?"

"Twice."

"And you've never been caught?"

Legolas grinned. "No. I'm very slick."

"I bet you are." Arwen also grinned.

So they hunkered there behind the bushes, like a pair of spies from an enemy realm. The night sky was already filled with thousands of stars, smiling down upon the two wayward elflings. Right after dinner, Keldarion and the twins had taken off behind Linden, dogging after the commander's steps as he went through all the security measures around the palace for the festival ahead.

Thranduil was now in his parlor, entertaining Elrond and his wife, Celebrian, after chasing off his youngest son to bed. The Mirkwood king should have known from past experiences that Legolas would not stay there for long. And Arwen's parents should have guessed that their equally mischievous daughter would escape her nanny's watch.

"Oh, look! They're gone!" the little she-elf announced a while later when the three servants disappeared altogether into the kitchen.

"I know, I see it. Now stay behind me," said Legolas as he led the way, scrambling out from behind the bushes. Arwen obeyed, her face glowing with excitement.

Stifling their giggles, the two children approached the buggy and carefully stepped onto the driver's box. The mare lifted her head and turned around slightly, whickering in puzzlement at their antic. Legolas took the reins, shushing Arwen to keep her voice down all the while. That only caused her to burst into joyful laughter.

"Oh, this is going to be fun!" she exclaimed.

Legolas glared at her. "Be silent or I'll kick you over!"

Arwen smirked. "You wouldn't dare. Besides, what's the point of keeping quiet anyway? This thing is going to make more noise than I do."

"Fine." Legolas rolled his eyes, and then he grinned. "All right, here we go!"

He clucked at the mare and shook the reins. Well trained, the mare obediently moved. Arwen shrieked in slight alarm as the buggy roughly jerked forward. She then clapped her hands gleefully when Legolas turned the mare into a steady trot to circle the backyard square. So, around and around they went, with the sound of rolling wheels and the clip-clops of the mare's hoofs hitting the pavement filling the otherwise silent air.

Instead of sitting on the driver's plank next to Arwen, Legolas stood as tall as he could get, with his feet planted wide apart and chest puffing forward in a prideful stance. Now that he had an audience, he wanted to show off a bit. It was not everyday that a young prince of Mirkwood could drive a buggy with a pretty maiden for company.

"Faster, Legolas! Faster!" Arwen urged, pumping her fists in the air to prove her point.

Legolas glanced askance at her in disapproval. "We're already moving fast enough, you know."

She harrumphed in reply and rose to her feet. "Oh, give me that!"

"Hey!" The prince squeaked in surprise when Arwen yanked the reins out of his hands.

"Sit down and let me drive."

"But…"

"You said you'll teach me how, remember?"

"Oh, well. If you say so." Legolas shrugged and reluctantly sat down. "Don't hold the reins too tight. The mare won't like it. Just keep it steady."

He continued to give her some pointers as Arwen turned the buggy around the square. But it didn't take her long to get bored with the scenery.

"Let's take it to the front, Legolas," she suggested, already urging the mare towards the path that led to the frontal courtyard.

"What? NO!" Legolas jumped up and tried to take the reins. "We need to return this buggy now before the servants appear."

Arwen resisted. "Don't be such a wet blanket, goldilocks. Just sit down and enjoy the ride."

"Arwen…"

"Hiyahh!" she yelled, flicking the reins all the harder. Neighing, the mare increased his speed and the buggy took off crazily down the path like a nazgul flying out of Mordor.

"Aaaa..!" Legolas cried out as he was thrown back onto the seat from the sudden momentum. Rubbing his sore bottom, he glared at his partner-in-crime who was laughing heartily with her long hair flying in the wind.

"Oh, this is fun!" Arwen exulted, grinning widely. "Can't you feel it, Legolas? Can't you feel the freedom and the exhilaration from the speed?"

Shaking his head, Legolas also had to smile because he definitely felt it too. "Now you know why I like to drive this thing. But I do suggest you slow down a bit. We don't want to crash into anything."

Arwen pouted, but did as she was told. She gently pulled back at the leather strips. To her dismay, the mare galloped on faster.

"Come on, plumpkin. Slow down, will you?" he complained. "We are heading right for the trees."

"I'm trying!" Arwen shot back, near to panic as she struggled with the reins. "But this horse is not listening to me!"

Equally alarmed, Legolas shot back to his feet and grabbed the reins, grumbling under his breath about the stupidity of the other gender—both animal and elf.

"Easy, girl. Whoa! Slow down, my dear. Slow down." He pulled and tugged, calling out soothing noises to the mare. But, unused to such incompetent handling as now, the beast was spooked and would not be pacified.

"Legolas, do something!" Arwen shrieked as the trees loomed closer in front of them.

"I am doing something!" he shouted in reply, wishing that he had stayed in his bed after all, having a nice dream where Arwen or the mare had no part in it.

"Legolas!"

There's no time to stop, he thought as he stared in horror at the neat row of pines coming towards them. The mare seemed determined to dash straight between the trees. No problem there, she could fit through. But the cart she dragged was another story.

"Jump, Arwen!"

"What?" She sounded incredulous, hardly believing that Legolas would even suggest such a thing.

"Just jump or we'll be crushed into bloody smithereens!"

"But I can't…"

Without further words, Legolas seized her hand and gathered her close.

A second later, the mare burst between the trees, the buggy following in her wake. The sound of her shrill neigh filled the air, echoed by the sickening sound of wooden planks smashing upon the rough tree trunks. There was also the sound of two children screaming in fright.

And then everything went totally silent.

TBC…