Water fight!

I am still wet as I sit down to write this. How much fun though! And the look on Dior's face! Let me start at the beginning...

These past few days we have been walking in a stream bed, which was very handy for getting all the water we needed for cooking, and took away any excuse the menfolk had for not washing! The idea however for splashing others with it did not occur though, until today.

I carried the pots and pans I had used for making breakfast down to the stream in order to wash them off.

"Rosriel," Lira called. "Would you like some help with that?"

"Why thank you Lira," I replied. "That would be nice!" I knelt down on the bank and began scrubbing yucca roots that Vila had picked up along the way for soap as Lira finished bringing down the bowls and cups. We were chatting cheerily when a shadow fell over us. I glanced up and stifled back a sigh. It was Dior. Despite what Ella had suggested about trying to make friends, it was still difficult for me to be charitable, even harder for Lira.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

Dior ignored her. "I came to thank you for the fine meal, Miss Rosriel." He bowed and I softened slightly.

"Le hannon," I replied, inclining my head. My good feelings quickly dissipated, however.

"You must have grown in courtesy and decency of cooking since you captured Thorin's company," Dior said in an antagonistic tone of voice.

My face flushed a faint shade of red and I felt my irritation growing again. Before I could make a reply though Lira threw a handful of water straight into the dwarfs face! I couldn't help but laughing at his shocked look and threw my own handful of water. He looked angry, but I could see his lips twitching as if trying not to laugh.

"Never splash a dwarf!" he boomed and threw water all over me before retreating beyond splashing range. Giggling, I attempted to throw water at him, but ended up soaking Lira instead. She shrieked and grabbed a pan full of water to throw on me. I ducked quickly, and much to Lira's dismay she drenched Anarion, who had come up to see what we were doing. He looked startled, then joined in with vengeance. Lira and I threw water at him as best we could through our laughter.

"Two against one is not fair!" Anarion protested. "Aldarion, come and help out your poor besieged brother!"

Aldarion looked up from where he was sharpening his knife. "If you are foolish enough to get involved in a water fight," he said calmly "especially with those two, then you shouldn't expect your older and wiser brother to save you."

Anarion looked so dismayed as he fended off out onslaught, that I felt slightly sorry for him and then did something I would not have otherwise decided to do. Motioning to Lira and Anarion to keep up the raucous, I silently filled a pot of water, crept up behind Aldarion and dumped it on his head. He lept up with a roar of surprise.

"So this is how elf princesses of Greenwood treat Rangers now is it?" He exclaimed. I shrieked as he chased me back down to the water, where I promptly slipped on a rock, falling face first into the cold stream and Aldarion joined in on Anarion's side.

Vila, Ella, Samdo and Elanor all joined in, and after a bit of splashing, so did everyone else - except for Elladan who had previously walked off to somewhere. In the midst of our splashing he returned and stood on the bank watching.

"Am I the only sane member of this fellowship left?" he called with a smile. In response, Elena took a cooking pan of water and threw it at him. Drenched, he joined in as well. Finally, we called a truce and staggered back to our campfire, where we are attempting to dry ourselves off. I admit I am a bit disappointed that our path now leaves the stream, but we must go on. I am sure there will be other streams along the way.
How thankful I am that our fellowship is not pressed by haste and danger, and that we have time for such fun and enjoyment.

~ Lady Rosriel, 70 miles