Haha! I finished chapter 3! I don't even know how long this took me. Talk about writers block. I was stuck on the same section for too long. I don't even know what happened. But anyway, I finished it and I feel very happy right now.

I have no idea how often I'll be updating. Probably not as often now. I'm back in school and I'm swamped with homework too many days a week to be able to write on this or any of my other stories like I would like to. I know all of you that are reading this would like quick updates, and I would love to give them to you, but I don't see that as a very plausible option right now. I will try, really I will, but I can make no promises.

We get a little fun in this chapter, and hopefully some really good laughs. Maybe my sense of humor is different, it probably is. Hopefully you guys find this as funny as I did. Guess I'll just have to wait and see if I get some comments on it. Leave me your thoughts: Loved it, hated it, couldn't care less (Why are you here, then?). I wanna know what you think!

On with chapter 3!

"Elvish"

'Thoughts'

'Mental conversation'

Suva

She was fidgeting. Suva didn't fidget. She found it quite irritating when someone fidgeted, so it was never a habit that she had bothered to pick up. This time, however, she just couldn't seem to help it. She, Legolas, Kixi and several other Mirkwood officials were leaving for Rivendell today. She wasn't sure what was making her more nervous; traveling with a bunch of scowling Mirkwood elves for almost two weeks, the journey itself, or the fact that she'd have to ride a horse.

Horses were beautiful creatures and Suva loved to look at them, but that was as far as her interest went. Unlike Kijo and Divan, Suva wasn't a big fan of horse riding. Kijo wasn't as bad as Divan, either, but she certainly enjoyed it more than Suva. Divan, being the one that had grown up on a farm, knew tons about horseback riding. Kijo wasn't the full blown country girl Divan was, but she wasn't afraid to get down and dirty. She'd ride horses, go hunting and play in the mud but she still liked to go out and get dressed up. Divan? Not so much when it came to dressing up.

Suva fingered her staff nervously, eying the large white-gray stallion that stood in front of her. She'd told Legolas that she couldn't ride and he'd decided that she would ride with him when the time came for them to set out. It made Suva feel a bit better knowing that she would be riding with Legolas and not one of the scowling officials but it didn't completely ease her fear. Suva much preferred to keep her feet on the ground, not five feet above it.

Her fingers continued to drum against the staff. Legolas had taken her to one of the woodworkers in Mirkwood and had had the staff carved. It was a simple, straight staff. It wasn't much but it made her feel slightly better knowing that she had some form of weapon. It had kept her calm the very few times Legolas and she had been apart after the incident three days ago.

Legolas had hardly left her side when she ventured outside the room she had been given in the palace. Much to Suva's surprise, they'd actually become quite good friends. He'd finally quit disappearing and actually started to show her and Kixi the city. He told stories, explained paintings that hung around the palace, and even asked questions about Kixi and she. Of course, there wasn't much she could tell him much about Earth or anything of the sort. So, she talked mostly about her friends, mainly Kijo and Divan. She told him about them and Tezo and Rata. Legolas found the fact that Rata could talk very intriguing. He said that very few birds in Middle Earth could speak like they could and those that could were usually very old.

Suva was pulled from her thoughts when Legolas laid a hand on her shoulder. "We are ready to depart, lady Suva." He announced. Suva had to resist scowling. She really disliked lady being put before her name. She was Suva. She wasn't a lady. Well, she was but not the lady that they meant. She wasn't some noble woman. Legolas normally didn't address her with the title of lady when they were together, but normally they were just wandering Mirkwood or the halls of the palace and weren't surrounded by officials of his father. Though Legolas wasn't trying as hard to please his father as he had been, he was still trying.

Suva nodded to Legolas and then watched as he easily vaulted up onto the back of the white-gray stallion. Once he was seated, he turned his upper body towards here and offered a smooth, pale hand. She gulped, taking it and letting the elven prince pull her up onto the horse almost effortlessly. She half expected the horse to bolt out from underneath them at the sudden increase in weight, but he stayed perfectly still. Suva slid one arm around Legolas, the hand of her other clutching tightly to her staff as it hung down beside them. She could hear Legolas chuckle and she glared, even though he couldn't see it.

"It is just a horse, milady. There is no need to be frightened." He whispered. Suva ground her teeth.

"It is a twelve hundred pound animal with a mind of its own, capable of killing either of us easily if it so chooses. Oh no, there is no reason whatsoever to be frightened." she bit back sarcastically. As if the horse understood every word she had said, which he very well could have, he stomped a foot and snorted. His large white head turned and his brown eyes caught her. Was it her imagination, or was he glaring at her? Suva tried not to whimper. She had killed a giant spider and she owned a bobcat as a pet, yet she was scared of a horse? If Kijo and Divan were there, they would have never let her live it down.

'You will be alright, Suva.' Kixi's calming voice sounded in her head. Suva tried to nod at her faithful friend but it turned out as more of a wince. Kixi didn't look like she trusted the horse any more than Suva did. At least she didn't have to ride it.

Suva almost fell off when the horse began moving. She held tighter to Legolas with her left arm, causing the elf to chuckle again. Suva sent another glare his way. He found this far too amusing. Here she was, absolutely terrified, and he was laughing at her! The nerve. She wanted to smack him with her staff but figured that wasn't very appropriate. Especially not with the officials of his father all around them. She let out mix between a sigh and a whimper. How did Kijo and Divan find this fun?

'Because they are completely and utterly mad?' Kixi asked. Suva barely refrained from snorting. That was probably an understatement.

Suva glanced down at her furry companion. Kixi easily kept pace with the horses, her ears twitching as she listened to the sounds of the forest. It was obvious, at least to Suva, that she was scanning for potential threats. Kixi was good like that, keeping Suva from getting into more trouble than she needed. Suva didn't know how she had ended up getting such an amazing animal as a companion.

Sighing, Suva faced forwards again, staring at the back of Legolas' head as they continued their journey. Legolas had told her it would take almost two weeks to reach Rivendell from Mirkwood. Those two weeks would likely be the longest of her life. It was October the eighth and if Suva had her calculations right, they would arrive somewhere around the twenty-first. That seemed a very long ways away, much to Suva's dismay.

-Pagebreak-

They traveled all day. Suva's thighs and rump were starting to seriously hurt because of the abuse they'd received. When they finally stopped at a sheltered clearing and Legolas had slid off the horse, he turned to help Suva down. The minute her legs hit solid earth again, she very nearly collapsed to the ground so that she could kiss the brown dirt beneath her feet. Oh how good it was to be on solid ground!

Legolas was laughing at her again, though he was trying to hide it by coughing. Suva glared, resisted the urge to hit him with her staff, and hobbled over to where Kixi had laid down. She knew she would probably have to do something to help set up camp, but for a few moments at least she wanted to be with Kixi. She wanted to forget the fact that she was in Middle Earth, being ferried to Rivendell by the Mirkwood prince on a horse and that her beloved cat was now a much larger bobcat. Oh how she wished she was back in her apartment sitting at her desk with her sketch pad, Kixi laying underneath the lamp she had sitting on the rather large desk. Oh how she wanted normal. This was not normal.

It was a little while later that she found herself seated between Legolas and an official named Ahdran. She was munching on some of the bread she'd been given, not overly hungry. Kixi was chewing on a piece of meat that had been thrown to her by a disgruntled elf. Kixi hadn't been happy but had contented herself with rambling on about how most of the elves they had met were very ill tempered. Suva couldn't agree with that statement more.

She eventually retired to her sleeping area, which was really nothing more than a big piece of cloth thrown on the ground. Suva wasn't sure she was going to enjoy her first camping experience. Eying the spot a little disdainfully, she eventually laid down. Kixi curled up next her as she often had when they were at home. Granted the cat was much larger and didn't fit snuggly against like she had before. Oh well.

It took her a little while to actually fall asleep. The sounds of the forest, an almost constant eerie hum, wasn't anything she was used to. She wasn't used to hearing a fire crackle and pop or the quiet sound of the elves talking. It was different, but she eventually managed to make her tired mind rest.

She was prodded awake by a very unamused elf the next morning. He barked at her to get up and get ready, they didn't have time to waste. Kixi growled at the elf but didn't offer to do anything more. It almost made Suva sad. She kind of wished that the bobcat would take a chunk out of one of the cranky, too perfect looking Mirkwood officials. Then again, that would get them both killed and she didn't particularly feel like dying.

When Suva got to her feet, she almost hit the ground again. Her legs hurt. Badly. The day of riding ahead would only prove to make that worse. Suva groaned but gathered up the blanket she was sleeping on and rolled it up. She gave it to Legolas, who secured it on the saddle before vaulting up onto the horse's back just like he had yesterday. Also just like yesterday, he turned to help her up into the saddle. Then they were moving, starting yet another day of painful travel.

The routine was repeated again that day, and the next, and the next for an entire week. The days were long, painful and usually quite boring. Suva almost wished they would find a few orcs or spiders, anything that would make the day less mind-numbingly boring. She had considered striking up a conversation with Legolas or even one of the other moody elves but didn't think it was worth the glares she would likely get. So, she settled with telling stories with Kixi. It helped to pass the time but the never ending boredom still remained. If only Divan and Kijo were there. Nothing could ever be boring with them around.

Divan

"You have looked through that bag four times now, Divan. What exactly do you think is missing?"

I glanced up at Rata. If she would have been human, she'd have been standing there with her arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised. Even still, she had a look in her eye that just said she thought I was being an idiot. I sighed, letting my hand drop to my side from where I had been chewing on my thumb.

"I just want to make sure I have everything." I muttered "You don't go on a two week journey without having everything you need."

"What, exactly, is everything you need? You have your sword, the two other outfits you were given, a waterskin and some food. That's everything and yet you have looked through that bag four times since you packed it!" Rata exclaimed. I scowled half-heartedly at her. I knew that I had everything, and she knew it too. I had known I'd had everything the minute I packed the bag. I was just nervous and I needed something to do before I exploded from nerves.

We were setting out for Rivendell today and I had never been more nervous. I was excited too, mostly because I would finally be able to see something that wasn't grey stone, but the nerves were outweighing the excitement. The journey to Rivendell would take just over two weeks and those two weeks were sure to be the most dangerous and the most exciting of my life. I could die on this journey if I'm being completely honest. Orcs, wolves and other non-friendly creatures prowled the lands between Erebor and Rivendell. It was very likely that we were going to run into something before we reached the gates of the elven city.

"Calm down, Divan. We will be fine. But you must calm down. You know as well as I do that you cannot think rationally when you let your emotions get the better of you." Rata chided. I nodded slowly, pulling in a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. Emotions were both a blessing and a curse. They could give you happiness and bliss, but they could also destroy you if you weren't careful. If I didn't have control over my emotions and they got the better of me in the middle of a battle, the result could be death and I didn't really feel like dying a second time.

A heavy knock brought me from my thoughts. I called out, telling whoever was on the other side that it was alright to enter. The door cracked open and Gimli's head appeared.

"We are ready to leave, lassie." His gruff voice carried over. I felt my nerves flare back up but I shoved them back into a chest in my mind and locked it. I nodded at Gimli, grabbing the pack I had and slinging it across my back. I held up my arm for Rata, who easily scurried up to sit on my shoulder. I grabbed my sword, the same one I had used when I had sparred with Ordel that Gloín had let me keep, and started for the door.

I shut the door behind me and turned to face Gimli. The red headed dwarf had a huge grin on his rough looking face. I let my lips turn up in a smirk and shook my head.

"Come, Gimli. It would not be wise to keep your father and the others waiting." I told him. Gimli nodded, turned and started walking. I followed behind him, securing my sword to my belt as we walked.

It didn't take long to reach the main halls where Gloín and the other dwarves that would accompany us were waiting. Everyone carried a pack much like mine which contained their waterskins and a portion of the food that we would have for our journey. Each dwarf carried at least two weapons, axes mostly. I almost rolled my eyes but managed to refrain.

"There ye are! Was wondering where ye both were at!" Gloín exclaimed. I chuckled.

"You need not wonder now. We are here." I stated. Gloín flashed a grin before turning to the rest of our company.

"We leave today for the elven city beyond the mountains! Stick close together, there are all sorts of wicked creatures out there. We shall arrive in two weeks time." Gloín announced. I saw many scowls at the mention of the elves. No doubt they were thinking of their on-going feud with the immortal race. I pursed my lips as we headed for the doors that would lead to freedom from the never ending grey walls.

Once the doors opened, I got a face full of fresh, clean air. The corners of my lips turned up in a small smile as the air hit me. They turned up to reveal a large grin once we were outside the mountain, the large doors closing behind us. My lips parted as I spread my arms, laughing joyously at being out in the air once again. Rata launched herself from my shoulder, flying a little ways ahead of us and startling many of the group before she tilted her wings and flew straight up into the air. My smile grew impossibly larger as I watched her and I laughed again.

I was aware of eyes on me but I couldn't find it in myself to care. The dwarven halls were beautiful in their own way, but nothing could compare to the sight before me. Dark green hills rising and falling, trees with leaves like emeralds, a sky that was such a light blue it was almost white and the gushing river coming down from the mountain. It was the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen.

Rata was racing through the air, twisting and turning and diving only to rise again. She was as happy as I was if not happier to once again see the sky. The wide open space giving her all the room she could ever want to fly to her heart's content. I wished I could join her up there, in the freedom of the wind.

Eventually, she circled around behind the group and swooped down to land on my shoulder, her talons digging in to keep from flying back off. I knew that she would have been smiling if she could have but I could still see the happiness in her eyes. She was overjoyed to be outside and I couldn't blame her. I was too.

"Ye are both free spirits." I turned to look at Gimli, who had appeared beside me. I raised an eyebrow, a silent question. What was he talking about? "Ye both treasure the open air. Ye survived in our home under the mountain, but ye did not truly enjoy it as much as ye could have. Ye enjoy wide open air, the trees and the grasses beneath your toes." Gimli murmured. I glanced around to see all the dwarves watching Rata and I. I looked back to Gimli.

"Your home under the mountain is truly beautiful Gimli. Do not think otherwise. But you are correct. Rata and I, we thrive in the open air, where we can see the sky and feel the warmth of the sun. We are much like the elves in a sense, I suppose. The trees, the land is what we thrive on. We can survive under the mountain, but we truly live out in the open." I said, my voice gentle. I didn't want to offend my companions but the words he had spoken were true and I couldn't deny them. Many would probably say that I had the spirit of an elf. The love of nature.

"Ye will stay with the elves then, will ye not?" another dwarf, a younger one, asked. I sighed.

"I do not know. I will find answers at Rivendell, answers that I have not gotten here. It will be those answers that will decide my fate. I must wait until then to decide." I smiled gently "So perhaps it would be wise to take advantage of our time together. We may only have a little left."

The looks I received from my companions were looks of agreement. Gloín stepped forward. "Ye are right, lassie. Come, let us be on our way and let us be merry while we are at it." he announced. The others nodded, grins on their hairy faces. Then, I had an idea.

"Perhaps a race, then?" Rata cackled with laughter.

-Pagebreak-

It was times like these that I was really happy I took Martial Arts as a kid. The art of self-defense was an art that I had only used about half a dozen times, but it was an art that brought security with it. I was always sure that if I ever had to, I could defend myself or anyone around me from an attacker. It didn't necessarily mean that I'd come out on top, but it did mean that I could at least try.

I grunted as I blocked another blow from the orc. Reckless though these were, they could still pack a punch. I jumped backwards as another tried to stab me. I glared, the blasted thing. As I shoved my sword through the orc's abdomen, the thought vaguely, and rather ridiculously, crossed my mind that the words had sounded oddly British inside my head. I gave a half shrug to myself. Why I was thinking of British accents during a fight with orcs was beyond me.

Confused? Maybe I should rewind a few hours…

Roughly Two Hours Earlier

"I am not trying to tell you that an axe is an ill-efficient weapon for battle! I am just saying that they are not as logical as a sword." I muttered. Dwarves were such a stubborn race.

"How do ye figure that, Lassie?! An axe is the most efficient weapon there is!" Gimli exclaimed. He was red hot mad and looking for a way to dig deeper into something that wasn't that bad. They were hotheaded and stubborn. I sighed.

"If you are trapped in a closed space, do you honestly think that you will be able to swing that axe around? Wielding a sword doesn't have to involve swinging like an axe. Swords are easier to maneuver as well. Honestly, I do not see how you cannot see it."

"But what of when ye are surrounded? An axe comes in handy then I'll say. A few good swings and they are no more!"

"While that may be true –"

"May be?! It is a fact, lassie!" Gimli roared. He started on a tirade, preaching about the advantages of carrying an axe. I rolled my eyes, trying to summon as much patience as I could muster. A week of arguing with Gimli could take its toll on anyone. I loved the red haired dwarf like a brother, and it was because of that, that I seemed to only be able to stand so much of his arguing. A pang shot through my chest at the thought of brothers. I missed mine.

Twins, younger than me by almost ten years. They, even though they constantly drove me up walls, were the light of my life. I would have done anything for them. The thought of never seeing them again broke my heart and it was only comforted by the fact that, while they could never replace my parents or my siblings, I had a new family here in Middle Earth. A family that would stick by each other no matter what.

Rata, who had been flying ahead of us for some ten minutes or more, finally circled back around and came to land on my shoulder. She took one look at the still ranting Gimli and rolled her small, chocolate eyes.

"I will never understand dwarves. I think I could spend the rest of my days with them and never understand." She said. I chuckled, nodding. I definitely understood where she was coming from.

"Anything ahead of us?" I asked. Her head shook.

"It is all clear. We should make it to the clearing within a few hours." She replied. I nodded to her.

Rata had acted as a scout on our journey. She could fly much faster than we could walk and she could see much better than us. So, she went ahead, looking for any dangers or obstacles that would hinder our journey. She had even started to pick places for us to camp for the night. Tonight's would be a small clearing just over the tree covered hill in the distance. We would reach it soon, granted we all lived longer enough. From the expressions of the others, I wasn't the only one considering showing Gimli just how much of an advantage a sword could have.

Several deep breaths later and we were finally emerging over the hill, roughly two hours later. It was hard to keep track of time in Middle Earth, they didn't have digital watches (Or watches at all for that matter. At least, none of my dwarven companions did.), so telling time was based on shadow and sun positions. I was pretty sure I had burned my retinas off because of how much I'd looked up.

I collapsed on the ground the minute we stopped, happy that at least for a moment I could focus on the thought of food and sleep, not of Gimli and axes. The moment was, of course, short lived. Because nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever be easy.

I heard them before I saw them. I really don't know how we missed them. They had to have been hiding in the trees when we entered the clearing, but we must have been too distracted to notice. Anyway, I heard them first. I had just lurched to my feet, my mouth open to shout a warning to my companions, when they dropped from the trees and started their assault. I barely had time to grab my sword before the first one was in front of me, and by then it was too late to do anything but fight anyway.

I wasn't really aware of anything, yet I was aware of everything. Is that how it is when you're in a battle? I suppose it is. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins, the skin of my knuckles turning first white as I gripped tightly to the handle of my sword, and then black as the blood of the orcs started to drip down the blade and onto my hands. I tried to keep track of Gimli, Gloín, Rata, but the only thing I could see were greyish-brown skinned backs of orcs. How many were there? Too many to keep track of, that was for sure.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The orcs were laying in lifeless heaps and all my companions were standing, breathing heavily and brandishing weapons, scanning for any more foul creatures. I spotted Rata landing on a branch of a rather tall tree, something silver falling to the ground below her. A dagger. She'd taken it from one of the orcs and had dropped it.

I slowly let my sword fall to my side. I stared at the dead bodies littering the clearing we had been about to use. I plopped down then, flopping onto my back and startling the others. Gimli took a few steps forward, concern in his eyes. I just closed mine and leaned my head back.

"Never again. This is the last time I fight orcs." I grumbled "Now I'm covered in sticky black and we don't even know where the next stream is."

I heard a few sighs of relief. I wasn't seriously injured. I was tempted to roll my eyes. Instead, I glanced over at the others and smirked at Gimli.

"My sword beat your axe, by the way." His mouth dropped open. He closed it, opened it again, closed it, opened, closed, opened it one last time… Then the tirade began again. Through his shouting, I'm almost positive I heard a few dwarvish curses thrown my way. I smiled. Oh home, sweet home.

Kijo

"Okay, so this is the plan…"

Earlier

'The gardens really are beautiful here.' Kijo thought to herself as she stared at the scene before her. It was one of the rare moments when she wasn't under the watchful eye of Arwen. Since her meeting with the twins some days earlier, Elrond and his daughter had kept a close eye on her. Apparently, they thought she'd go running off to find the twins and probably get into some sort of trouble.

'And it's completely true and you know it.' Kijo thought. It was true. The simple, quiet life in Rivendell was so boring. She wanted excitement, adventure! The twins were the only people in the entire city that shared her thoughts. So she was very inclined to seek them out for a little fun. Which is how Tezo ended up playing messenger.

'I found them. Well, one of them. I'm not sure which one it is either. They look the same.' The black and white wolf mumbled. Kijo laughed, not because she was mocking him but because she knew exactly how he felt. She couldn't tell them apart either.

'It doesn't matter which one you found. Just that you found one of them.' Kijo replied. The wolf gave his best version of a scowl as they waited for the dark haired elf to arrive.

It didn't take long. He appeared, more or less out of thin air, looking perfect as all elves do. Kijo cursed their ability to be so perfect. How did they do it? Not a single hair was out of place!

"You wished to see me, my lady?" the twin asked. Kijo found herself scowling. Why he and every other bloody elf in this city had to refer to her as 'lady' she didn't understand. She'd tried to make him understand that he didn't have to use 'lady', but either he didn't get it, or he didn't want to. She had the slight impression that it was the latter.

"Yes, I did." Kijo answered "I have a proposition for you. A game, of sorts."

The twin raised a perfect dark eyebrow. "A game? What kind of game?" he questioned suspiciously. Kijo grinned.

"One that will probably get us into trouble with your father and your sister. Granted you're up to it." Kijo goaded. A slow grin came to the twin's face.

"Trouble?"

"A whole heap of it."

-Pagebreak-

"You are suggesting that we scatter the animals? Where is the logic in that?" Elladan asked. Kijo gave a frustrated sigh.

"It makes perfect sense! We send them running, get them all riled up. They run through everything! They scatter people and cause total disarray! It's perfect if we want a little excitement!" Kijo exclaimed. At her feet, Tezo snorted.

'Perfect if you want to get yourself murdered, maybe. Arwen will kill you, you realize this, right?' Kijo scowled down at the wolf.

'Let me have my fun.'

Tezo rolled his blue eyes. She'd regret the decision later, after she was punished with extremely harsh lessons of elvish, which she still couldn't understand any of. Whether because she refused to understand it or her brain couldn't connect the thoughts together was beyond Tezo. She'd learnt Spanish easily enough.

"You truly believe that this will work?" Elrohir questioned. Kijo nodded excitedly, her head bouncing up and down like a bobble-head on speed. The twins shared a glance, one of uncertainty. They didn't quite believe her.

"Oh for… Just do it! I promise you won't be disappointed!" She exclaimed. Reluctantly, the twins nodded.

"What shall we do then?" the twins asked simultaneously. Kijo felt her eye twitch. She hated it when they did that. It creeped her out. They looked and sounded too much alike as it was, speaking completely in sync only made it sound like they were one person. If they weren't standing side-by-side, you would think they were one person.

"Find whatever animals you can and let them out of their pens. Send them running. I'll go to the stables and let the horses out, since that's the only place I know… They will stay in the city, right?" Kijo said. Both twins nodded.

"Rarely do any animals ever wander out the gates. If they would find their way to them, the guards bid them return." Elrohir stated. Kijo gave a swift nod.

"Okay, this is the plan. You guys know your jobs?" Kijo asked. Elrohir and Elladan both nodded. "Alright, we'll meet by that spot down by the water. The one hidden in the trees. Okay?" Again both twins nodded. "Alright! Let's do this!" She exclaimed.

Both twins took off in opposite directions, leaving Kijo and Tezo alone. Kijo grinned slyly, ready to set to work. "Come on Tezo. Let's roll." Kijo bounded off, barely realizing that her companion wasn't following her. She stopped, turned and raised an eyebrow at the wolf still lying under the tree. "Aren't you coming?"

'Unlike you, I don't have a death wish. I am perfectly happy right here, thank you. If you want to go get yourself killed, be my guest. I'm staying here.' Tezo replied. Kijo's brow drew down.

"But… but you'll miss all the fun!" She whined. Tezo snorted back at her.

'Death by Arwen is not how I pictured the end of my life. If fun causes my death, I'd rather be boring.'

Kijo huffed. "Fine, party-pooper. I'll go have fun by myself!" She stuck her tongue out at the wolf and then bounded off through the trees. Tezo rolled his eyes. When would she learn? Probably never.

Kijo managed to get to the stables without being seen, a huge feat for her. Divan had told her once that she couldn't be quiet or discreet to save her life. 'That's a lie! I managed to get here, didn't I! Take that!' Kijo thought to herself. 'If only Di could see me now. Playing pranks with Elrond's twins. Wouldn't she be jealous. Or maybe not. She did tell me once that her favorite elf wasn't the twins. It was some dude with blonde hair. Which one? He used a bow. But that really isn't relevant. They all use bows, stupid elves. Why do they have to be so good at everything?!'

Kijo paused her mental rant, checking the corridor of the stables for any elves. When she found none, she crept carefully inside. Or rather, tried to creep carefully. She ended up on her face, a common occurrence in her day-to-day life on Earth. Kijo groaned. 'So much for being sneaky. Dang it!'

She hauled herself to her feet, brushing the dirt off the dress she was wearing. Yes, another dress. Arwen wouldn't let her wear anything else. She liked dresses, but she really wanted a pair of pants. Was that too much to ask? Besides, pulling a prank in a dress wasn't all that practical anyhow. Oh well, she'd make do.

She slid along the wall. Coming to the first stall door, she unlatched it and let the door swing open. One down, too many to count to go. She went down the row, undoing latches and letting doors swing open. When she finally reached the end, she turned, expecting the horses to be milling in the hall. Instead, their heads poked out. Nothing more. Kijo scowled.

"Go on! Get! Go! Shoo!" She waved her arms in the air. They didn't move. Kijo's scowl deepened. She tried more hand gestures, words that were meant to make animals move. Nothing worked. With a frustrated growl, she turned and kicked a chest that contained an array of tools. Kijo winced, hopping up and down while holding her now throbbing foot, as tools fell out and clattered to the floor.

Like the flood-gate had been opened, every horse in the stables seemed to shoot out at once. They filled the hall, knocking Kijo to the ground and forcing her to take cover against the wall to avoid being trampled.

Only when the stable was quiet did Kijo dare to remove her hands from her head. Peaking between her arms, she looked for any sign of a 1400 pound animal ready to trample her. Finding none, she slowly got to her feet. A smile spread across her face. Mission accomplished. Well, part one anyway. Now she just had to meet up with the twins.

With a skip in her step, she left the stables. She took her time, following the winding path that led down to the little place by the river. Elrohir (or maybe it was Elladan) was already there. He glanced up at her approach, a grin spreading over his face.

"Did you succeed?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. Now we just wait for Dan and let our magic go to work." She received an odd expression at that and at first she thought he didn't get the expression. It was, after all, more of an Earthly expression. She quickly figured out that it had nothing to do with that, but with her ability to tell people apart.

"I am Elladan, Lady Kijo. My brother is the one that is not here."

Kijo felt her face redden. Of course it would be. "Sorry… I still can't tell you two apart. Look too much alike."

"Who looks too much alike?" the other twin asked as he appeared from between a pair of trees. Kijo jumped.

"Jeez Ro! You scared the crap out of me!"

"Did I? Would you like some time to yourself then? To take care of that problem?"

Kijo's mouth dropped open and her face became even redder. Both twins were openly smirking at her, finding obvious amusement in her embarrassment.

'Oh I swear! It's like dealing with Di! Twice! She would've said the exact same thing!' Kijo growled to herself. She wanted to say something smart and witty, but couldn't think of anything that would be good enough. Instead, she settled for pouting. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stuck her bottom lip out. Both elves started laughing.

Five minutes later, after they were done, Elrohir asked how long they had to wait before their plan worked. As if on cue, they could hear shrieks and screams coming from within the city. The three shared identical looks of excitement. Mission accomplished, for real this time.

Figuring it safer to remain in that spot instead of trying to make their way back to their rooms, the three sat down and started discussing how well their plan had worked. Whether because they were too busy talking or because Arwen had gotten even quieter when she walked, none of them heard her approach. So when they looked up to find a stern and rather angry faced Arwen, the twins did what they did best. They ran.

The twins bolted, leaving Kijo alone to fend for herself. She thought about running, but she knew that she couldn't outrun the elf, even if Arwen was in a dress. So, shrinking down, she prepared herself for the worst.

"Come with me." Three simple words said in a monotone was enough to strike fear into Kijo's heart.

'This is bad. This is very, very bad.' she thought to herself as she followed meekly behind the dark haired woman.

'Told ya so. Have fun dying!' Tezo sounded in her head. Kijo scowled.

'The only one that's gonna be dying is you. Did you rat us out?' Kijo growled. Tezo scoffed.

'Like I had to. Everyone knew the minute it happened who it was. It was obvious.' Tezo replied 'Which is why you're a dead woman. Good luck saying "I will not play pranks" a hundred times in elvish.' Kijo froze.

"Come on!" Arwen exclaimed unhappily.

'This is bad. This is very, very bad.'