Elladan glanced at the two who immediately stepped back, hands up in surrender. Returning his attention to the ranger, he smiled wickedly at the man, “No help this time little brother.”
“I don’t feel right just letting him throw Strider in there like that...” Legolas kept his eyes on the two as they struggled near the pool’s edge, both trying to over balance the other.
“Shall we?” Elrohir smiled devilishly at the prince.
“Yes.”
The elves were so involved in the rough housing and so thoroughly enjoying themselves that they were not paying attention to their surroundings. The warnings from their father that morning went unheeded and they did not hear when the forest fell silent around them. The soft sounds of twigs snapping evaded notice, overridden by their laughter.
Legolas and Elrohir rushed Elladan and had nearly reached the elf’s position when their advance was stopped, blocked by arrows that rained down around them. The shaft of one whistled by Legolas’ head, its fletchings brushing the top of his shoulder. The prince dropped into a crouched position and whirled on his bootheels, gazing intently into the forest behind them. Elladan forced Aragorn to the ground beneath him, holding the human down protectively, stunned by the attack, their play fighting forgotten as he scanned the edges of the glade.
Their weapons lay in the midst of the small camp they had made, a few yards from where they now were. Risking the exposure, Legolas ran back towards the campsite and quickly collected the bows, slinging their quivers over his back as arrows bit into the dirt near his hands, throwing up small rocks and debris. He turned to see the brothers running for the edge of the cliff, shouting at him to join them. Aragorn’s eyes were huge and he stopped, momentarily glancing behind the prince as their attackers gave up the cover of the forest.