Disclaimer: I do not own anything, it all belongs to Tolkien and I am not getting any profit whatsoever.  Many thanks to my awesome beta reader, Cathy *aka XsilicaX*

Chapter One

“Valar, Elrohir, you must have really made him mad if he refused a simple scouting trip,” Legolas commented to Elrohir with a small smile. The two elves were on their way out of Rivendell on their horses, along with Elrohir’s human foster brother Aragorn. The three were going on a scouting trip, but after the prank Elrohir had pulled on his twin brother Elladan, the older twin refused to come with them.

Elrohir merely shrugged. “It was a minor prank. I assure you he has done worse.”

Aragorn snorted, unbelieving of the twin’s comment.

“He will be over it when we return,” Elrohir continued, ignoring Aragorn. “Ada requested that he stay and help with the annual banquet anyway.”

“If I recall, Ada requested your help as well," Aragorn pointed out.

Legolas chuckled softly to himself, refusing to comment. Elladan, Elrohir’s identical twin brother, had never let his brothers go scouting without him before. The older twin always said it was because he liked scouting above anything he could do at home, but Legolas knew the real reason was because Elladan was overprotective of both of his brothers. Elrond had once told Legolas that Elladan’s over protectiveness dated to an incident from the twins’ childhood but Elrond would not tell him more.

The day was cloudless and sunny. All around the three, birds chirped merrily and the trees sang of the beautiful day.

Tell me again why we have come out scouting,” Elrohir commented halfway through the day. “There is nothing out here!”

“That is usually the outcome we want, brother,” Aragorn smiled. “Especially since there are only three of us.”

“Now, Estel,” Elrohir replied, addressing his brother with the ranger’s Elvish name. “I know you and Legolas are prone to getting into trouble when you are out here all by yourself, but I am here with you now. Nothing will happen.”

Aragorn gave his brother an unappreciative glare as Legolas reached over and smacked the other Elf upside the head. Elrohir just laughed in response, and soon the other two had joined in.

Then, without warning, Elrohir kicked his horse and called for a race between the three. As he and Legolas tried to catch up, Aragorn said to the blond Elf, “He’s two thousand years older than me and I have a longer attention span.”

Legolas roared with laughter.

When night came, the three set up camp. Elrohir kept watch as Aragorn and Legolas fought over who was cooking dinner.

“I can do it,” Aragorn insisted through gritted teeth as he grabbed the food from Legolas, who was preparing a fire.

“Strider, do not make me tie you down while I cook,” Legolas threatened very seriously. “Last time I let you cook, you scorched the food to ashes!!”

“It will not happen again,” Aragorn insisted.

"No, it will not happen again because you are not cooking again,” Legolas repudiated.

Somehow through their bickering, the food was cooked, although neither would give the other any credit. Elrohir joined them to eat.

“Quiet night,” Elrohir commented.

“Good,” Legolas nodded. “Estel needs his beauty sleep. I shudder to think how he would look come morning otherwise.”

Aragorn shot a piece of his food at the blond Elf, who easily dodged it and shot back one of his own.

“And Ada thinks that Elladan and I are bad,” Elrohir mused, shaking his head.

“Oh, we are not as bad as the two of you!” Aragorn protested indignantly while Legolas shot Elrohir a look as much as said the same thing.

“Whatever,” Elrohir muttered good-naturedly.

“We should get some sleep,” Legolas mentioned, knowing things wouldn’t stop if the three really got started with teasing each other.

Elrohir and Aragorn smiled knowingly at Legolas and started to clean up from dinner.

“I wonder what Elladan will have waiting for you at home,” Aragorn said to Elrohir. Elrohir just smiled, and was about to say something in reply, when suddenly something struck him in the chest. With a startled, painful cry, the Elf crumbled to the floor.

TBC