"You lost."
"Best four out of seven."
"We don't have time for that, you had a second chance."
"And a third one as well."
Haldir tried to mask his distress, but it was evident he wished nothing more than to be back up in the guard flet. "I'm just not doing this. I can order one of the two of you to go instead."
"Oh, no." Orophin waggled a finger at his brother. "Adar said 'Decide among the three of you'. That's an order from him, and his orders supercede yours!"
Rumil nodded in agreement. "You said yourself the borders would be safe without you, that Valarda could handle anything well as you could."
"That was last month when my leg was wounded and I could not be on patrol. This is a much different situation," argued Haldir.
"Who would have thought the brave Captain of the Galadhrim would be afraid to escort a group of ladies to Rohan?" mused a voice nearby. All three brothers looked up to see their father grinning at them from the tree he was leaning against. He had come to deliver the news that a party would arrive in an hour and would need a guard to travel with them. Considering his wife was among the members of the party, Celeborn requested one of his sons assume the task, and had been amused to watch them make the decision as to who would go in a most unusual manner.
"We still have time. Four out of seven," begged Haldir again, running out of ideas.
Rumil shrugged at Orophin. "Odds are he'll still lose."
Orophin nodded in return. "Ready then? One - two - three."
All three of the brothers held out their hands in the circle, Haldir's hand flat with his palm to the ground and Rumil and Orophin both with one finger pointing straight out. "Arrows pierce parchment, you've been bested again," said Rumil apologetically. "Shall I retrieve your traveling pack for you from the talan?"
Haldir growled under his breath. "This just isn't possible. You have to be cheating."
"Short of reading your mind, we have no way of knowing what you were going to do."
Turning his back to them, he started to jog to the tree where his flet on the border was, and stopped, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked around at them. "Five out of nine!"
"You're still going to lose!" laughed Orophin.
The eldest ran back and took his place in their circle once more. "Ready?" asked Rumil. Haldir gave a curt nod, trying to concentrate on what his brothers were going to do. His siblings, however, were not watching the center of their circle, but their father. Celeborn stood with one one arm parallel to the ground, holding the elbow of his other arm, the hand of which rested beneath his chin. Briefly, he curled his hand into a fist, then resumed his relaxed position. The signal was enough for the brothers.
"Stones crush arrows, Halli. We have bested you once more." Orophin crossed his arms, and added, "Before you say it, we are not trying for six of eleven or seven of fourteen or eight of three hundred. Go and get your things, Lothlorien will not fall to man nor beast while you are gone."
"How can you be so sure of that, Oro?" questioned Haldir as he turned resignedly and looked to his flet.
Orophin smirked. "Because I would not only have to answer to you, but also to my wife. Now, go!" He looked behind his shoulder to make sure that no one was within sight and gave Haldir a firm, yet loving kick in the rear. "If you are not ready when Nana arrives, I fear she will make us all accompany her."
"Yes. Don't do this for yourself, Halli. Do this for us," said Rumil as Haldir walked to his tree, kicking the path as he went. Once he had safely disappeared up his tree, Celeborn let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you both," he said. "That was much easier than it would have been if I'd have told him he had to go."
"You're welcome, but I do not see why you didn't just tell him he had to go," replied Rumil.
Celeborn motioned for them to come closer, and said, "If I'd have ordered him, it would have seemed odd. If he would have thought about it, he would have realized I'm sending him on a holiday. Go ahead, try to order him on holiday some time," said Celeborn, shaking his head as though this were an impossible task.
Rumil looked at Orophin. "Holiday?"
Orophin looked at Rumil. "Best nine out of seventeen?"
The pair scurried toward the tree.
