The company of Thorin Oakenshield had been in Imladris for little more than a few hours, and it was already clear that Kili and Fili were becoming restless. Perhaps the peace and safety of our hidden valley was not well suited to their young, adventurous spirits, or perhaps they were simply ill-at-ease amongst elves. For whatever reason, the two of them left the other dwarves eating and napping in the room they had been given and set to wandering about Imladris. It would not be completely untrue to say that Kili likely has some degree of fascination with our people, for he eagerly strode from room to room examining all that his eyes could find. Fili followed several steps behind, laughing at his brother's comments and pointing out particularly interesting sights.

The sun was setting over the edges of the valley when Kili and Fili found themselves in a long corridor, open to the gardens on one side and lined with tapestries on the other. They paused at one tapestry, and quirked their eyebrows at it. Depicted in the finest of elven needle-work was an image of Earendil the Mariner, father to Lord Elrond who sails his ship as a star from Valinor across the sky every night. It was a masterful portrait, and in Earendil's face was all the beauty of his grandmother Luthien. The two young dwarves however laughed to one another about the tapestry, arguing over whether the elf shown was male or female. They jested how it was impossible to tell elf men from elf women, as they both looked equally slight and hairless to their eyes.

It just so happened that at this moment the Lords Elladan and Elrohir were passing by the corridor, and they overheard Fili and Kili's mocking of their grandfather. Both bore down on the dwarves, and demanded to know by what right guests in Lord Elrond's house should mock their host's ancestors. Kili and Fili did not back down however. Fili planted his hands on his hips and insisted that their confusion over Earendil's gender was rightly placed, so androgynous was the face in the tapestry. Kili, smiling brightly, looked up into the faces of Elladan and Elrohir and said that he could see the resemblance to Earendil, as they both looked like elf maids as well!

The halls rang with echoing shouts as both pairs of brothers traded insults which quickly escalated in vulgarity. Finally, an under-handed comment regarding Kili's lack of beard pushed the dwarves too far. Kili promptly reached up, grabbed Elladan by a braid, and pulled him down into reach for a good punch. Fili meanwhile wound back for a height-appropriate strike at Elrohir that would have earned disapproving looks even in the surliest of tavern brawls. It was only a booming roar of outrage from the end of the corridor which prevented violence. Four heads spun about (Elladan's with some difficulty as Kili still had hold of his hair). Gandalf stormed towards the group with wrath blazing in his eyes.

"Enough of this! All four of you disgrace the Houses of Durin and Elrond both with your petty quarreling!"

The combatants were separated and sent their separate ways, not without many poisonous glances though. The next morning the dwarves left Imladris before the rising of the sun, but not before some measure of vengeance was dealt. When the dwarves paused for a meal at midday, Kili and Fili both opened their packs and let out gasps of outrage. Packed neatly into their traveling gear was a bottle of scented perfume each, as well as various bows and hair ribbons.

Back at Imladris, Elladan and Elrohir went about their day with a smug grin plastered on their elven faces.