AN: This is an accurate account of actual events that actually happened exactly like this. -Dan

Completely true events that actually did happen
-Dan-

"This is exactly what happened last time!" Elrohir announced, exasperated, as he shoved another cluster of low-hanging tree branches out of his face. "This happens to us every time we come here!"

"It's not exactly like last time." Elladan piped up from his spot in the back. "This time we're not hopelessly lost. We have Estel leading the way!" He nearly walked into Elrohir as his twin abruptly stopped walking.

Elrohir and Aragorn had both paused on the trail and turned to stare at him. "Did you-"

He grinned innocently as they both shook their heads in immense shame and continued on. They walked on in relative silence for a few hours longer, Aragorn eventually falling out of the lead and lagging some distance behind.

He grumbled under his breath about elves as he lost his footing in the mud once more, barely catching himself in time to avoid a nasty fall. He paused and glanced down at the map in his hands before looking back up at the elf twins merrily frolicking through the woods ahead of him.

"I haven't seen any Elvenkings or giant spiders!" He finally shouted out to them. "I think the map was wrong."

"Wait, we had a map?" Elladan asked.

"Are you sure that you're reading it correctly?" Elrohir piped in.

"I don't remember having a map." Elladan continued, sounding confused.

"Perhaps you've been reading it upside down." Elrohir suggested helpfully.

"I have not been reading it upside down." Aragorn huffed indignantly at the younger twin while Elladan still looked puzzled.

Silence fell again for the most part as the three continued on through the mud, Aragorn trudging painfully and nearly losing his boots to the mud on more than one occassion, the twins sliding around and apparently having the time of their lives.

It was Elladan who finally spoke up as they passed the same tree for what must have been the seventh time, right after having to drag Aragorn out of the same mud pit for the fourth time. He threw his hands in the air and announced "I think this is a hallucination. I think we all must just be hallucinating."

Elrohir brightened considerably. "Ah! So then this is Mirkwood!" He sounded pleased.

Aragorn stopped.

"I have utterly no clue where we are anymore!" Elladan cried out with good cheer. "You're right, brother. We must be on the right track now."

"What-" Aragorn looked from one twin to the other. "You're saying... the more lost we think we are... the closer we are to our destination?"

They grinned identical grins. "Precisely!" They agreed in unison.

Many more hours and mud pits later, and Aragorn was seriously contemplating demanding a piggyback, when Elladan – now in the lead – suddenly gave a shout and ran forward.

"Look!" He shouted gaily. "A giant spider!" He pointed into the trees and gave an excited hop. "I told you that we were going the right way!" He and his twin both clapped and rushed forward to get a better look, once again leaving their human brother to stumble through the mud behind them.

The spider, recognizing the coming elves, wisely made itself scarce as quickly as eight legs would allow.