"I thought we could do something with those nut things," Ski said, gesturing to the little balls that littered the ground around the base of a walnut tree.

Alagos rose and strode over to the tree, picking up a few of the nuts. A sudden, mischievous idea struck him, and he paused for a moment with his back to the Orc. Then, with a quick movement, he spun and tossed a walnut at her, shouting, "Catch as catch can!" as he did so. Ski, who had been half-expecting something of the sort, could still only look discombobulated and fumblingly try to catch the makeshift ball. It sailed toward her in a smooth arc and she held out her hands somewhat awkwardly in an attempt to stop its progress. She missed by a good six inches, and the walnut landed neatly on the very top of her head (as its pitcher had intended), and bounced off.

"Ow!" said the Orc, rubbing her head and further messing up her already disheveled sparse hair in the process. "That kind of hurt!" But she was grinning. The Elf was grinning, too. He cleared his throat. "Now, if you're quite done flailing about—"

"Hey!"

"—we can play a game of catch. Or at least, I will play a game of catch; based on your opening performance, you may very well play a game of miss," Alagos said teasingly. The young Orc spluttered a moment, then snorted and rolled her eyes. "We'll see about that," she said with a sniff, the light of challenge and fun in her eyes.

An hour later, both contestants lay sprawled on their backs in the grass, the smaller of the two panting from exertion. The "game of catch" had escalated into a fully-blown walnut-fight, which had ended when Alagos scurried up a tree with his arms full of nuts and rained down a veritable storm on Ski, who finally gave in with a howled "Okay, okay, I give up, I give up!" as she sprinted around the clearing with her arms over her head and Alagos easily kept pace in the treetops.

The Elf had triumphed, of course, but he had not escaped the battle unscathed: while Ski was rubbish at catching things, she was a sharp aim, and had gotten in her blows with some fantastic pitches to the Elf's chest and torso. So it was with pardonable pride that she huffed, "Well, at least I went down valiantly," and flung her arms out dramatically, poking out her tongue and crossing her eyes in a comical portrayal of a fallen warrior. Her right hand accidentally struck Alagos's forehead, as he lay nearby with the top of his head toward Ski.

"Ouch," he grumbled good-naturedly, and Ski giggled. "Whoops! Sorry." She folded her arm back over her chest. "That was fun," she sighed, and closed her eyes. Alagos voiced his agreement and folded his hands behind his golden head. It really was a beautiful day: the sky was the deep blue of late summer, and the afternoon sun beamed down into the clearing. The Elf contentedly watched the white, fluffy clouds drift by and morph, shaped by the wind high above. Though Ski was in the shade, she could see the sky, and also watched the clouds with fascination.

Suddenly, Alagos bolted upright. He had heard something. Was that just the wind in the branches, or…? No. Light footsteps were making their way through the boughs, unmistakably heading toward the clearing. Alagos shot to his feet and jerked Ski up with him. Her mouth opened and she began to form a question, and he quickly covered her lips with his fingertips. The Elf tilted his head toward the trees. "Elf coming," he breathed in the Orc's ear, and her eyes widened in fear.

"Go. Go! I will handle this," her friend hissed. Ski hesitated briefly, but then shot him an anguished look and took off as quickly and quietly as she could. Alagos watched her go, his heart pounding in his ears, and snatched his bow up from where he had rested it against a tree trunk. He knew the other Elves wouldn't listen to Ski, wouldn't believe her, would kill her as soon as look at her. Hurriedly Alagos slung his quiver over his back and nocked an arrow, and then took up a position at the edge of the clearing that suggested he had only just arrived.

Barely two seconds later, an Elf landed on a thick branch above his head. Alagos glanced up at him. "Ah, Idhren," he said, as casually as he could, "I see you've arrived in time to witness my frustration." The other Elf dropped to the ground beside him. "Frustration?" asked the newcomer, a look of suspicion on his face. "I thought I heard sounds of merriment upon the wind: your voice, and the voice of another. But I smell the stench of Orc?" The last words, though a statement, held a question.

Alagos cursed mentally. He should have been more careful—he of all people should know how keen the hearing of Elves was! And of course it would be Idhren who came to investigate. Of all the border guards, Idhren was the wisest and most perceptive. Fooling him was going to be very hard indeed. Alagos carefully kept his face and voice neutral as he spoke. "Yes, I was tracking an Orc; I followed it to this clearing, but it has disappeared. As for the merriment, you must be mistaken: I have been silent and intent on my prey. Perhaps you heard others laughing, and mistook one of their voices for mine."

Idhren regarded Alagos with a mixture of misgiving and consternation. "It is possible that I misheard," said the older Elf carefully; "but I do not think I did." His eyes traveled around the little clearing, taking in the large indentations in the grass, as well as the smaller, willy-nilly indentations, and the sixty or so walnuts that lay scattered all over the clearing. Alagos closed his eyes. He was an idiot. Any Elf, never mind Idhren, could have easily seen that there had been some kind of chase or tussle in the grass. How could he have forgotten about those telltale signs?

Alagos opened his eyes again to find Idhren gazing at him with the faintest trace of a smile. "I surmise," he said quietly, "that when you arrived here and confronted the Orc, you dropped your bow and quiver; thus, you proceeded to assault the Orc with walnuts, thereby driving it away. Is that, perchance, what happened?" Alagos stared at his fellow guard, who was now openly smirking. He realized that Idhren had deduced what had happened and was giving him a way out. "Yes," he said quickly, "that is precisely what happened."

Idhren looked amused at Alagos's relief. "May I assume that the Orc—who, perhaps, threw a few walnuts back at you—is…not evil?" Alagos nodded. "You assume correctly. I scarcely believe it myself, still. Two days past, I came upon her—" Idhren's face registered slight surprise; "—in this clearing. I found, through…ahem, through a conversation I did not have, that she believes herself to be an Elf—or, at least, she believes herself capable of becoming an Elf."

The older Elf was silent as he took this in. Then he tilted his head thoughtfully. "It is true that Orcs were once Elves," he said slowly. "It could be possible—in theory—for an Orc to return to the original form of its race. However, this would certainly require an Orc to change its behavior—indeed its heart, its very spirit—and this thing has never occurred." Idhren shook his head in wonder. "Until now."

Alagos's anxiety suddenly returned. Now that Idhren knew his secret, the elder guard would doubtless report both Alagos and Ski to Haldir—perhaps even to Lady Galadriel herself. He would lose his position on the guard, and Ski would likely be killed, or at least taken prisoner and studied closely. Idhren cleared his throat, and the younger Elf's mouth went dry. Then it opened in shock, for Idhren had said, "Worry not. I will not betray your secret, young one."

Seeing the look on Alagos's face, Idhren chuckled. "Why are you so surprised? Have I not proven my wise judgment many times over? It is good that you found this Orc, Alagos. This is the greatest discovery of the age—nay, in the entire history of Middle Earth! But it would be wise to observe her further, proving her good intentions beyond doubt, before bringing her to the attention of others…except, perhaps, to Lady Galadriel. She has a kind heart; she would not slaughter a being with even the smallest spark of good in it. Mayhap she already knows of this Orc."

Idhren grasped the younger Elf's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I am in utmost sincerity, young Alagos. I can see you have come to care for this Orc. True friendships are like Silmarils: rare and precious beyond measure. I will not have this one broken if I can help it." Alagos was grateful nearly beyond words. He grasped Idhren's forearm in a handshake. "There are no words to express the depth of my gratitude. I can only give you my thanks, and my trust, and my life."

The older guard smiled and clapped Alagos on the shoulder. "You need not be so dramatic, mellon! Come, let us return to Caras Galadhon."

Yeah, the ending's kind of weak, but I couldn't think of anything else after the walnut game. Sorry. *shifty grin*

Thanks again to everyone who followed/faved my story! Please continue to review-I need feedback! :)