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Chapter 2: Schemes Abound

To any average person, a dwarf could be associated with many things. They were known for their greed in jewels and gold, and mined deep into the earth. Their hearts were made of the same stone that they chiseled day in and day out, but they were also great warriors despite their small stature. They could fight as well as any Elven lord. They were driven by their fiery courage and the bite of their axe was always deadly. However, these generalizations are made by those who do not know the dwarves very well. Above all else, they should be known for their courtesy. They treat their guests with respect and are quite generous to those they know well. They hold the highest respect for the females though, even if she is an Elven lady. Though the Dwarves do not hold much love for the Elves, A lady is admired as if she were a jewel. One that was so precious that it shone brightly than any star, but they could not touch it for fear of ruining its splendor. That is the way Gimli felt when he viewed Arwen Evenstar in the gardens of Rivendell.

He was leaning against a tree, trying to find a haven away from the Elves, which was hard since Rivendell consisted of little else but Elves. He was about to light his pipe for a much needed smoke when Arwen glided into the gardens. As she entered, she smiled and gave a slight nod, and tended to the flowers on the other side of where he stood. Now, Gimli thought himself a sort of gentlemen. He never peeped on any of the dwarven ladies at the Lonely Mountain, not that there were many to peep at. He preferred that women keep their unmentionables out of sight and keep clothed their most delicate areas. However, Gimli was still of that masculine nature, and sometimes a dwarf's eyes have a mind of their own. He believed that Dwarves were created short for a reason as he beheld Arwen's most intriguing feature on her backside.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Gimli's body twitched in fright at being caught in such a juvenile act. He glared up into the face of a man, who was smirking down at him, "I have no idea what you are talking about!"

The man broke out into a laugh, "Please, I meant no offense. In fact I came to you to see if you would be some assistance to me."

"What kind of assistance?"

"Well, I am having trouble with an elf," explained the man.

Gimli shook his head, "You are Boromir from Gondor, correct? I know that your men do not usually have dealings with other races but you must know that Dwarves and Elves do not get along."

"Yes, that much I know, but I thought this elf might to be of some interest to you," said Boromir.

Gimli arched an eyebrow, "I have no interest in the dealings of Elves."

"But this elf is the son of Thranduil, which, as your father revealed at the council, imprisoned him," said Boromir.

The dwarf looked up in sudden interest. His father, Glóin, was taken captured by the Mirkwood Elves during his journey to the Lonely Mountain with Bilbo, Thorin, and a company of Dwarves. They were only seeking food and crashed upon an Elven feast three times without success. All the dwarves were eventually caught. When Thorin refused to explain to Thranduil his reasons for being in Mirkwood, he held all the dwarves in jail cells. If it wasn't for Bilbo, they would have never escaped.

"Legolas." said Gimli with distaste but suddenly looked smug, "Has he not been following you around for days? I think he fancies you."

Boromir looked aghast, "That is the vilest thing I have ever heard!"

Gimli chuckled, "I am sorry. I could not resist. But you shall have assistance to your dilemma. Gimli, son of Glóin, at your service," the Dwarf bowed low.

"Thank you, Master Dwarf. I am most grateful." Boromir bowed, unsure if he replied in the right manner.

"Now what is it that you want me do?" said Gimli.

"I need you to distract him."

Gimli blinked, "That's it?"

"I need him away from me for at least one day. Tomorrow I am leaving to scout in the southern area and I want one day where I can just rest in peace" explained Boromir.

"I will do whatever is necessary"

"Again, thank you." Boromir glanced across the gardens, "For now, I'll let you return to your . . . daydreaming."

"Yes, it is truly a beautiful daydream that I have been experiencing," said Gimli with knowing eye.

"In case you did not know, Elves have superior hearing," with that, Boromir left Gimli.

"Of course I know Elves have good hearing," thought Gimli, "Does he take me for a fool?" When Gimli returned his gaze, he found that Arwen was now facing him. With a smile on her face, she waved and blew him a kiss.

A blush rose to his cheeks and Gimli left the gardens feeling very much like a fool.

………………………………………………………

Arwen left the gardens in a hurry, "Elves do have superior hearing, Master Boromir. Did you not realize that your little distraction could cause a riot?" The tension between Gimli and Legolas was very thick. Gimli's hatred for the Elves was probably spurred by Glóin. Not that she blamed Gimli though, but Legolas had nothing to do with Thranduil's orders. Yet, each of them carries their father's honor, and past wounds are slow to close. Gimli would like nothing but revenge for what his father endured and Legolas would never berate his father for any of his choices. This could get ugly fast.

She went into the stables and found Aragorn saddling the horse that would take him scouting through Greyflood. Anytime he had to travel far, he would always take his horse on a short ride the day before as if it were a warm up before the big race, "Estel, I have a proposal."

Aragorn scrunched his eyebrows, "I thought I already did that."

"No, my love," she said as she lifted her hand to his cheek, "I want to ask you a favor."

Taking her hand, he guided it towards his mouth and planted a small kiss on it, "Anything you want."

"I do not want Boromir to leave with the scouts tomorrow. I want him to stay here," She said.

"But Boromir knows the lands in the south very well. It is necessary for us to have him go." Aragorn could not fathom why she wanted him to stay.

She took his hand in hers and lead him out of the stables. Beyond the field, they could see Legolas practicing his archery. The targets that Elladan and Elrohir had made were riddled with countless arrows, all of them within the center mark. "What if I told you that Legolas's mischief has caused something more than an irate man?"

"What do you mean?" asked Aragorn.

"Boromir has asked Gimli's aid in dealing with Legolas. I do not know what Gimli plans to do but I know this will not end well," Arwen said.

"But how will Boromir staying helped this situation? I can only think it will worsen it."

"Not if we play our cards right. He knows why Gimli detests Legolas so much and he's creating a bigger problem than his initial one." Arwen explained, forming a plan in her head.

"You mean when Legolas was following Boromir? I was beginning to think that he fancied Boromir." laughed the Ranger.

Arwen playfully rolled her eyes, "Men. There is always one thing on their mind, no matter if they are the same gender."

"Obviously some Elves cannot take a little joke," grinned Aragorn. "But what do you plan to solve this problem?"

"I am thinking of one," she answered with a sly smile.

"You should not call it thinking; you should call it scheming." Aragorn wrapped his arm around Arwen and they returned to the stables. "I love a devious elf."

In the seconds that the couple left their place, a small stout figure appeared in the field, axe in hand.

A/N: Don't worry Legolas fans, Legolas will not suffer much physical harm.