Mischief

Mischief: Chapter 3

A pair of very awake and very alert pair of fair, sapphire eyes watch the hunched figure was he whispered to himself over the exhausted and deeply asleep Gandalf. He dared not call out, for whatever Gimli was doing was obviously meant for him, and would probably rouse the others from their well-earned sleep. A quizzical look came across his fine features as he tried to figure out what in Valar Gimli was doing. He had noticed Gimli always staring at him the during the daytime ever since he discovered him at the bank, and the elf had already started to suspect something when he saw him doing what he could only describe as "playing with the mud", and he'd been extra careful around him. The elf "watched" from his position from the ground, since it was nearly pitch black and even his eyes couldn't see through it, and for a couple minutes longer the sound of wet mud being smoothed across a surface became apparent to his trained ears. And if it was any other day, Legolas would have gotten up and halted Gimli in his evil doing immediately, but seeing as he was fenced into the cave wall by the four hobbits and Sam was nearly sleeping on top of him, he could make no major movement without waking them.

Gandalf would have a nasty surprise tomorrow, and the thought of a fuming wizard chasing after the short-legged dwarf really shouldn't have made him smile.

Next time I'd better go pick a better place to rest, the prince thought amusedly and somewhat glumly as Sam rolled somehow even closer, nearly pressing him against the overhanging rock wall. Sighing softly, he shuffled awkwardly in his tight sleeping bag before managing to roll onto his side with his face practically inches away from kissing the cold wall. He was lucky he wasn't claustrophobic.

Soon, he too drifted off to the land of dreams as the sound of the footsteps of troublemaker receded into the distance.

He really should have been prepared, but he wasn't ready to emerge from the wonderful dream about being back in the palace of Mirkwood with his father.

A mighty roar shook the campsite and everyone bolted wide awake, as the sound of a furious wizard would have woken the dead. In an instant, Legolas realized what Gimli had been doing the previous night and was completely glad (and guilty) that it did not happen to him once he saw Gandalf's head covered in mud and bits of decomposing plant corpses. It looked as if he decided to dunk his head into a marsh and keep it there for a couple of days.

"Who dared do this?" He hollered, and a wide-eyed Gimli sprinted out of the trees.

"What's wrong 'ere Gandalf?" The archer saw astonishment flash in Gimli's eyes but it was gone in an instant, as quick as it had appeared. He even had the audacity to look innocent.

"You!" It suddenly seemed as if the old man had grown twice in size and towered over everyone in camp, and even Aragorn looked startled. He pointed a wizened finger at the even smaller than before looking dwarf.

"What is the meaning of this?" He bellowed, storming to stand tower over Gimli.

Legolas admired his courage but was expecting what was coming next, as he had often known that Gimli was an extremely accomplished liar. But apparently, not in this case as everyone was either staring at Gimli and Gandalf facing off or staring at Legolas beneath the trees. Aragorn mouthed something in elvish with a disbelieving look on his face, leaning heavily on Frodo, but Legolas wasn't paying attention to the future king. He was looking towards the scene with Gandalf the Grey and Gimli the Dwarf.

"It wasn't me!" Gimli protested, holding his hands up, but the wizard wasn't biting the bait. Nor was anybody else. Boromir was obviously enjoying the showdown in by the sleeping bags, and the hobbits seemed captivated.

"Then who was it dwarf?!"

The moment before Gimli even opened his mouth he already knew whose name it was going to be.

"Maybe it was Legolas? Who else could have snuck around without being noticed? And he's always had a knack for nature too." All eyes turned on the man standing underneath the trees.

"Though I might have a "knack with nature as you so call it", that does not mean I have a thing for mud Gimli, and I have better things to do than run around collecting mud. Besides, you were on night watch when it happened, and thus the only one supposedly awake at that time." He replied smoothly.

"Well we all know you lot don't even sleep, you could have very well been up!" His face started to flush red, Legolas noticed in satisfaction.

"Then maybe you should have noticed it as it was your job."

Silence ensued, and to those spectating, it seemed like the two were having a telepathic staring contest.

Aragorn looked about and realized if something didn't happen soon, a full on brawl would occur, and that was another headache the Ranger definitely did not need. He cleared his throat loudly and the tension was broken as if by a spell.

"Maybe we should worry about this some other time, and instead worry about getting camp ready."

He started giving orders and suddenly the place was buzzing with activity. Gandalf retreated to go wash the muck off his beard and hair, while Legolas sprung off to go gather food without a word, leaving Gimli growling behind him.

Though his face didn't show it, the usually calm archer was silently seething. Quarrels with Gimli he could deal with, but not when it was set in front of the entire Fellowship like a comedy movie.

He sat down heavily upon a rock staring at the opposite tree trunk until he detected the light sound of the footsteps of a hobbit.

The tall bushes quivered and the short brown-haired hobbit, Pippin, emerged from within the fronds, with a look on his face that spoke of trouble.