"Legolaaaas!!!!" A wild yell sounded from a dark haired, teenage elf.

His twin brother echoed the call, "Legolas!"

Faintly they heard the return call, "Yeeees????"

"Wheeeree arreeee yoooouuuu?????" One of the twins, Elrohir, yelled.

"Coooommminnnggg!!!!!"

They were in the halls of Rivendell, where Legolas and his father, Thranduil were visiting.

Soon, a blonde haired elf was seen sprinting down the long hallway towards the two sons of Elrond, Elrohir and Elladan.

Legolas stopped running when he reached them, pausing a moment to regain his breath. Once he had regained it, he glanced between the twins, "So, can you guys?"

"Yes!" Elladan burst out, obviously excited, "Although Glorfindel has to come with." His tone grew less excited as he added the last part of information, however.

Legolas sighed, "I suppose it can't be helped." A mischievous grin suddenly spread across his face, "Although now we have some one to prank..."

Grins grew quickly on the sons of Elrond's face, matching that of their friend's.

"Okay, now we need to go get supplies," Legolas said eagerly, "I'm already packed since we're going straight there."

The twins nodded at the exact same time, "Sounds good."

The three elves ran off swiftly down a hallway towards the twins' room, their feet making virtually no noise on the stone floor.

They arrived quickly, and threw open the door to the twins' bedroom with flair.

"We have arrived," Elrohir announced dramatically, although it was hardly necessary.

The three boys went quickly inside, not bothering to close the door.

The next several minutes were quite rowdy ones. The boys didn't really consider whether they were being loud--which they were-- as they called out to each other in the spacious elvish room. Clothes, blankets, and other miscellaneous things were thrown carelessly into bags until there wasn't room for anymore.

"Did you pack a compass?" Elladan yelled to his brother, who was on the other side of the room.

"I'm not really sure..." Elrohir called back, digging his hands into his bag and feeling around, "I think I threw it in here at one point..."

Legolas--who was sprawled across one of the beds-- stifled a small yawn, "Well, I think you did too. But it's kind of hard to tell 'cuz your bag looks like you made a stew of your possessions in it."

Elladan grinned and laughed, looking over at Elrohir's bag, "Green and brown stew." he commented, stifling another laugh as Elrohir glared at him.

"Your's doesn't look much better," Legolas sat up to look inside Elladan's bag.

Elladan glared at his friend, shutting his bag, "I'm sure your's is a mess too."

Legolas smirked, "Nope. It's perfectly organized."

The twins rolled their eyes, "Your Ada probably helped you."

"We-ell," Legolas admitted, "I guess he did."

"Anyway," Elrohir changed the subject, "Now to find Glorfindel?"

"Already here." The three boys spun around to see Glorfindel standing in the doorway, dressed in a silver and black tunic.

"How'd you know we were here?" Legolas was the first to speak.

Glorfindel smiled, "It's kind of hard to not know where you three are."

The boys glanced at the open door sheepishly, "I guess we forgot to close the door." Elrohir grinned ruefully.

"I don't think it was the door," Glorfindel murmured to himself, still smiling.

"What?" Elladan barely heard Glorfindel's last words, but couldn't understand them.

"Nothing." Glorifindel said mildly, "Have you finished packing?"

All three boys nodded vigorously.

"I'll trust that you packed the right things," Glorfindel looked between them, a questioning expression on his face.

"Elrohir packed stew for us," Elladan piped up, earning a hard glare from his brother.

"Where did you put it?" Glorfindel asked, not understanding the joke.

All three elflings exchanged a glance, nonverbal communication passing between them.

"In his bag." Elladan answered, fighting to keep his expression neutral--and only partly succeeding.

Glorifindel switched his gaze from Elladan to Legolas, and from Legolas to Elrohir, and from Elrohir back to Elladan, "Alright then." he said mildly. He had been around the twins and Legolas long enough to know when they were trying to pull his leg, and decided not to give them any satisfaction.

"You can take your stew," He emphasized, giving all three of them long stares, "to the kitchen, where we will be packing the rest of the food." he finished, making sure his tone was just slightly suspicious.

Turning away, Glorfindel left the room, headed for the kitchen. But what the elves couldn't see the smile spreading across his face.

As soon as the elf lord was out of ear shot, Legolas leaned over and whispered, "Do you think he knows it was a joke?"

Elladan looked thoughtful, "I'm not really sure..." he trailed off.

They all sat in silence for a moment before Elrohir spoke up, "Anyway, let's head over to the kitchen to pack food. I don't want to only be eating lembas this trip."

"Agreed." Legolas hopped off the bed and exited the room, quickly followed by the twins.

"Elrohir, where's the stew?" He looked--and sounded-- so perfectly serious that it gave the trio a small feeling that he wasn't.

"I...uh..." Elohir fumbled around in his words, "Well, I forgot it." He swallowed, "If Elladan and Legolas could go help me get it, I'd appreciate it." he shot a quick glare at the two, who were barely holding in laughter.

"Very well. Please hurry," Glorfindel kept his face serious.

The three boys darted out of the kitchen, going quickly out of earshot of the kitchen.

"WHAT DO WE DO???" Elrohir exclaimed, beginning to pace.

"I DON'T KNOW!!!" Elladan also started pacing.

Legolas was silent for a moment, "You don't think we could get some stew from the kitchen?" he suggested.

The twins stopped pacing, and looked at each other for a moment, "It's our best shot." Elladan said eventually.

Elrohir nodded, "Team huddle." he ordered, and the three elves huddled in a circle, "Legolas, this is your plan, so you issue out what we'll do."

"Elladan, you'll be the distraction. ..." Legolas began, and for the next thirty seconds, he outlined his plan.

"Hey Glor-glor!" Elladan skipped into the kitchen, smiling.

Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"It's, uh, your nickname now." He glanced quickly behind Glorfindel, where Legolas and Elohir were walking like ghosts towards a pan on a cookfire.

Glorfindel started to turn around, and Elladan cried out, "NO!"

Glorfindel stopped, looking at him like he was out of his mind.

"I..uh... well," Elladan wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, "I need you to see if I packed everything in my bag!" he smiled widely, "That's it."

"Go ask your father," Glorifindel smiled, "I'm a little busy right now."

Behind Glorfindel, Elladan was quickly and vigorously scooping stew out of the pan on the fire into his own pan. Hearing Glorfindel's suggestion that Elladan should leave, Legolas made wide, violent, negative motions with his hands.

Seeing this, Elladan stalled, "I just really thought you were busy- I mean HE was busy, like he as in my father, like Elrond, you know? So he was really busy and I thought you could do it, but like I mean he IS busy... like currently busy. Like now. So he--my father, Elrond," he emphasized, "is too busy to check my bag,"

Legolas nodded vigorously, and made a sign to tell Elladan to keep going.

"Soooo..." Elladan drew the word out for several seconds, "can you do it?"

At that time, Elrohir finished scooping the last of the stew into his own pan. Legolas gave a double thumbs up, and then bolted out the back door along with Elrohir.

"Elladan..." Glorfindel started, only to be interrupted by Legolas and Elrohir bursting in the door behind Elladan, looking extremely flushed.

"Here it is!" Elrohir proclaimed, panting slightly. He held the pan full of stew up to Glorfindel.

Glorfindel rubbed his forehead, stifling laughter, "I'll pack it."

Elrohir drew in a deep breath, "Thank you."

Glorfindel took the pot from the elf's hands, looking at the contents, "This looks like the one the cook just made."

Legolas smiled innocently, thinking quickly, "It's the same recipe."

Glorfindel nodded, still suspicious, "Indeed."

"Yup." Legolas agreed easily, "So, are we going to pack any other food?"

"A little more, but I think I can pack the rest." He smiled at the trio, "Elladan, your father may be able to check your bag for you now."

"Huh?" Elladan looked confused for a moment, but quickly recovered, "Ah... right. Thanks." he quickly darted out of the room, followed by Legolas and Elrohir.

Glorfindel walked over to the pot over the fire and looked in it, noting that it was empty. He let out a low chuckle, and scooped the contents of Elohir's pot back into the original pot over the fire.

"Well done, team." The three elves exchanged high fives once they were safely back in the twin's bedroom.

That night, Legolas slept on the floor in the twins' bedroom, while Elladan and Elrohir slept in their own beds.

Early in the morning, Legolas woke up. He lifted his head up from his pillow, his golden blonde hair a mess, and looked around. Sitting up, he finger-combed his hair, and then struggled to braid his own hair away from his face.

There was a bit of movement over in Elladan's direction, and Legolas saw the twin sit up and yawn. Elladan saw Legolas and smiled sleepily, giving a small wave.

Soon after, Elrohir woke up, and the three teenage elves went down to the kitchen, where Glorfindel was waiting.

Glorfindel smiled as the trio walked in and took a seat at a table, "Ready for the day?"

"Yup," Legolas smiled, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Definitely," Elrohir agreed, stifling a yawn.

"De-hin-wet-wy," Elladan copied his brother, talking through a yawn.

Plates piled with fruit and bread were placed in front of the brothers and their friend, and the elves gratefully dug in, consuming it quickly.

Now fully awake, Legolas asked, "Where will we be camping?"

"Around the borders of Imladris." Glorfindel took a bite of the apple he held in his hand. Once he had finished chewing and had swallowed, he added, "I wouldn't want to be too far from home if anything should happen."

"I guess so." Legolas agreed, "I'll go get our bags, since you two are still finishing eating."

Elladan quickly shoved the last of a strawberry in his mouth, "Done." he announced with a mouth full of food.

Elrohir finished his piece of bread in a more dignified manner than his brother, and wiped his hands on his pants, "I'm done too." he spoke after he had finished chewing and swallowing, and together the three friends retrieved their bags.

Returning downstairs, they found Glorfindel fully equipped to go.

"I'm going to go say 'bye to my ada." Legolas dropped his bag and ran off towards Thranduil's room.

"Ada?" Legolas knocked quietly on the door.

"Come in, ion nin." Came the reply.

Legolas opened the door and walked over to his father, giving him a hug, "Couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

"I'm glad you didn't." Thranduil hugged his son back, "I'll see you soon." He released his son.

Legolas smiled up at his father, "Bye, Adar," he turned and ran back out the door, excited for what adventures lay ahead.

Elrohir and Elladan had just returned from telling their own Adar goodbye, and were waiting for him with Glorifindel.

The four elves left Imladris, going into the woods outside, and began the long hike.

"This is going to be such an adventure," Legolas commented while jogging.

The twins chorused their own agreement, enjoying being out in the woods again.

They hiked for a few hours with short respites in between until the woods ended, and they came out an overlook to a lake.

"We'll camp up here." Glorifindel announced, enjoying the fresh air himself, "Then it'll be a short jog to the lake."

Legolas, Elrohir, and Elladan began setting up under Glorfindel's orders, and soon they had a good campsite set up. It was set up so that the soon to be campfire was in the middle, and the blankets were made into beds around it.

The warrior in Glorfindel had made sure they were in a strategic position in case they were attacked. There were trees for cover, and there was a small cliff at their backs protecting one side.

Although, Glorfindel thought, There should be nothing to worry about. He smiled as the three elves ran around the camp laughing. Just an small adventure with energetic youth.

That night, they all gathered around the now blazing campfire, each of them wrapped in a blanket. They ate a small dinner, consisting of fruit and vegetables, and after that retired to bed.

The three elflings soon drifted off to sleep, their last thought being that the next day was very promising indeed.

Written: June 3, 2016
Word count: 2122
Judges: SashaSteveBlair, EcthelionofGondolin, GuardofMirkwood